All news

“Droits Quotidiens Légal Tech”, a startup dedicated to providing legal access for all

Information updated on 23/02/23

The company develops digital solutions with a social focus, designed to improve access to legal information for everyone. Its first project seeks to help make it easier for elderly people facing a loss of autonomy to remain independently at home.

Mélanie Parnot ©A.Viste

No one can exercise a legal right if they don’t know it exists. This observation led to the creation of the startup Droits Quotidiens Légal Tech. Incubated at Montpellier BIC, the young company designs, develops, and markets digital and social solutions to improve people’s access to their legal rights.
 
This represents a completely disruptive approach as well as a mission statement, both linked to the company’s origins. Droits Quotidiens Légal Tech was founded in Montpellier in February 2020 by Mélanie Parnot, a lawyer of the Montpellier Bar, and Droits Quotidiens, an NGO based in Belgium whose goal is “to make the law understandable and accessible to the most vulnerable people.”
 
A prominent player in its country, the NGO wanted to expand into France to increase its social impact. Mélanie Parnot then began to identify the legal areas where “there was a pressing need” in France. That is how Droits Quotidiens Légal Tech developed its first project, an online platform to support the independence of seniors, unlike any other existing solution, in order to “generalize the mandate for future protection in France.”

“This measure, which has been in effect since 2007, is unanimously considered to be the best solution for helping people avoid being placed under guardianship. It is the contract that makes it possible for people to plan their own arrangements ahead of time in the event of loss of autonomy. It reduces the risk of conflicts within the family and expedites procedures,” explains Mélanie Parnot.

Yet, despite these advantages, no more than 0.5% of the population over 60 years of age have made use of it in France (compared to 10% in Belgium). “French people do not even know it exists!” adds the lawyer.
 
The company’s totally secure online platform enables users to draft an initial outline of the future protection mandate, adapted to their particular needs and wishes. The text is then refined and finalized by a notarial act. Since Droits Quotidiens Légal Tech’s business activity has a very strong social dimension, people in serious difficulty can benefit from a free mandate countersigned by a partner lawyer.
 
The stakes are considerable. According to INSEE, no fewer than four million seniors in France are likely to lose their ability to live independently by 2050. This was a matter of urgency as far as Droits Quotidiens Legal Tech is concerned, and Mélanie Parnot is very pleased with the support she received from Montpellier BIC.

“BIC support in launching a project of this kind has been truly essential for us. They helped us define the right business model, find the funding we needed, and put us in touch with key players,” says Mélanie Parnot.

In the Montpellier Métropole area, Droits Quotidiens Legal Tech is one more shining star in the field of global health, offering everyone access to the law.