What this means in plain language:
- We hold your payment until you confirm the service was received
- If you're not satisfied, you get a full refund within 3 business days
- We verify every specialist before listing them
- We are a registered EU company (Estonia)
- The full legal terms follow below
These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the EXPAT LEGAL platform ("EXPAT LEGAL", "we", "us"). By using the platform you agree to these Terms. EXPAT LEGAL OÜ is registered in Estonia, and these Terms are governed by Estonian law.
1. Role of the platform
EXPAT LEGAL is an intermediary marketplace. We connect users with independent, verified legal and financial specialists. We do not ourselves provide legal, financial, tax, notarial or other professional services, and we are not a party to the agreement between you and a specialist.
2. Escrow agent and technology intermediary
EXPAT LEGAL OÜ acts as escrow agent and technology intermediary. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. Our role is limited to verifying specialists, holding your payment securely until you confirm the service, and connecting you with the specialist you choose.
3. Verification
We verify each specialist's diploma, professional licence and identity document before publication. Verification confirms the documents we reviewed; it is not a guarantee of the outcome, quality or suitability of any particular consultation.
4. No liability for consultations
Specialists act independently and are solely responsible for the advice and services they provide. To the maximum extent permitted by law, EXPAT LEGAL is not liable for the content, quality, accuracy or outcome of any consultation, nor for any decision you make based on it.
5. Payments and escrow
Prices are fixed and set by the platform. Payments are processed through Mercuryo and are held on the platform's escrow account in Bitcoin (BTC). Funds are released to the specialist after you confirm the service, or automatically after 72 hours without confirmation. Payment processing is also subject to Mercuryo's own terms.
6. Refunds
If a service was not provided, you may request a refund through our support (contact form or email) within a reasonable time. We review each request manually and, where the conditions are met, refund 100% of the amount within 3 business days to the account you paid from. We reserve the right to decline a refund where these conditions are not met or where abuse is detected.
7. Acceptable use
You agree to provide accurate information, to use the platform only for lawful purposes, and not to misuse, disrupt, or attempt to gain unauthorised access to the platform. You must not use the platform to request or facilitate any illegal activity.
8. Data protection and GDPR
We collect only the data needed to connect you with a specialist, as described in our Privacy Policy. We act as data controller and process personal data in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); where specialists or processors handle data on our behalf, this is governed by a data processing agreement that limits use to delivering your consultation. We do not store your card or financial-instrument details; these are handled by the payment provider.
9. Dispute resolution and escalation
Disputes are first addressed through good-faith negotiation via our support (contact form or email), usually within 3 business days. If the matter is not resolved, it is escalated to our compliance team for a documented review and decision. Any dispute that still cannot be resolved shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with applicable Estonian law.
10. Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of the platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
11. Contact
For any questions about these Terms, contact us by email at support@expatlegal.com or through our contact form.
12. Escrow, insurance and AML policies
Your use of the platform is also governed by our Escrow Services Agreement, which sets out exactly how funds are held and released; our Anti-Money Laundering (AML) & Counter-Terrorist Financing Policy; and our Professional Liability & Insurance notice, under which EXPAT LEGAL maintains errors & omissions cover for cases of verified specialist negligence. These documents are linked in the footer of every page and form part of these Terms.