Off The Record
Off The Record is a Seattle-based legal technology marketplace, founded in 2015, that connects drivers across all 50 U.S. states with a vetted network of 1,000+ traffic attorneys via a proprietary SmartMatch algorithm, offering per-case booking, subscriptions, and a 97% favorable-outcome rate.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Off The Record does
Off The Record (OTR), founded in October 2015 in Seattle by former Amazon engineers Alex Guirguis and Mark Mikhail, operates a legal-technology marketplace that connects drivers receiving traffic citations with a nationwide network of vetted local traffic attorneys. The platform is accessible via website and native iOS/Android apps; customers submit a photo of their ticket, answer a few questions, and receive an instant quote and attorney match. OTR covers all 50 U.S. states and Washington D.C. through a network of 1,000+ partner attorneys and reports a 97% favorable-outcome rate across more than 500,000 lifetime cases.
The company's core technology is SmartMatch, a proprietary matching algorithm built on over 10 years of case outcome data. SmartMatch ranks attorneys by success rate, legal fee, response time, customer service ratings, and court-specific historical performance, then pairs the driver with the best-fit local counsel. The platform also includes real-time case tracking with attorney messaging, push notifications, a money-back guarantee on eligible outcomes, a web-based attorney portal (mylawfirm.offtherecord.com) for case management, and Stripe-integrated payment processing. The product portfolio has expanded beyond simple traffic tickets to include DUI/DWI, suspended license, reckless driving, CDL violations, boating DUI, and traffic misdemeanors.
OTR generates revenue through three streams: a $10 per-case booking fee plus an undisclosed attorney-side marketing/usage fee on each accepted case, annual subscription revenue from Fastlane Membership (unlimited nationwide coverage) and Fastlane Teen (free first-ticket coverage for drivers 16-19), and a referral program that pays $10 per successful referral. Per-case legal fees vary by jurisdiction (e.g., $99-$250 in Seattle, down from $350-$450 pre-OTR; $99-$120 in NYC). The company is privately held with 1-10 employees, a single disclosed seed funding event (Revolution's Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, August 2019), and a wholly-owned Florida subsidiary (OTR Florida Law) to navigate Florida Bar rules.
Off The Record firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Off The Record
- Legal name
- Off the Record, Inc.
- Website
- https://offtherecord.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Off The Record is a Seattle-based legal technology marketplace, founded in 2015, that connects drivers across all 50 U.S. states with a vetted network of 1,000+ traffic attorneys via a proprietary SmartMatch algorithm, offering per-case booking, subscriptions, and a 97% favorable-outcome rate.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Off The Record is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Off The Record business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Attorney Transaction Fees: OTR charges attorneys a flat marketing and services fee for each case accepted through the platform. Attorneys set their own legal fees, which are paid directly by customers. OTR takes a percentage as a transaction/booking fee ($10 per case) plus the attorney pays a usage/marketing fee to OTR.
- Fastlane Subscription: Annual subscription service providing unlimited traffic ticket coverage. Fastlane Teen offers free coverage for first ticket for teen drivers; Fastlane Membership provides coverage for multiple tickets per year. Subscription model with monthly or annual billing.
- Referral Program: Customers can refer friends using a referral code. Referrer earns $10 per successful referral; referee receives $10 discount on their booking. This drives customer acquisition at low cost.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Traffic Ticket Case |
| Subscription | Annual | Fastlane Teen Plan |
| Subscription | Annual | Fastlane Membership |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Off The Record product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Off The Record operates an online legal technology marketplace that connects drivers who have received traffic citations with a nationwide network of more than 1,000 vetted local traffic attorneys. The platform uses a proprietary SmartMatch algorithm to match drivers with attorneys based on jurisdiction, charge type, and historical success rates, and provides a money-back guarantee on eligible cases. Customers can book via website or mobile app (iOS and Android), track their case in real time, and avoid court appearances, with all 50 states covered.
Product overview
Off The Record (OTR) is a legal technology marketplace platform built around its proprietary SmartMatch matching algorithm. The core platform connects drivers who receive traffic tickets with a nationwide network of over 1,000 vetted traffic attorneys using data-driven matching. OTR operates as an 'Uber for lawyers' model where independent attorneys handle legal representation while OTR provides the technology, case management, customer support, and the SmartMatch algorithm. The platform is available via web and mobile app (iOS/Android), and integrates Stripe for payment processing. The product portfolio includes the core marketplace, Fastlane Teen Protection Plan (free teen driver coverage), Fastlane Membership (unlimited subscription coverage), the attorney portal for law firm partners, and a referral program. A distinctive Money-Back Guarantee on eligible traffic ticket cases is backed by OTR's 97% success rate achieved through SmartMatch optimization.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Fastlane Teen Protection Plan: Annual subscription plan providing free traffic ticket coverage for teen drivers aged 16-19, with 25% discount for second tickets.
- Fastlane Membership
- OTR SmartMatch
Products and services
- Off The Record Traffic Ticket Defense Service Online marketplace service that matches individual drivers who have received a traffic ticket or moving violation with a vetted local traffic attorney and manages the case through resolution. Covers speeding, DUI/DWI, suspended license, reckless driving, CDL tickets, and traffic misdemeanors across all 50 states, with a money-back guarantee on eligible cases.
- Fastlane Teen Protection Plan
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% of cases result in favorable outcome (dismissed, reduced, deferred, or points reduced)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Off The Record
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Off The Record technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
Off The Record partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators8 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Off The Record competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- LegalMatch: Online marketplace that matches consumers with attorneys across practice areas; comparable to OTR's core flow of routing cases to vetted lawyers, though LegalMatch operates across many legal categories rather than specializing in traffic.
- Avvo: Legal directory and Q&A platform (acquired by Internet Brands) that helps consumers find and review attorneys, including for traffic and DUI matters; overlaps with OTR's attorney discovery and matching model, though Avvo is broader and does not handle cases end-to-end.
- 1-800-ATTORNEY: Attorney referral network connecting consumers with local lawyers, including a dedicated traffic-ticket defense focus; mirrors OTR's traffic-ticket marketplace model with a phone-led intake rather than an app-first flow.
Broad incumbents
- LegalZoom: Large consumer legal services brand offering document preparation, registered agent services, and attorney matching across many practice areas; a broad incumbent in the consumer legal marketplace with scale and brand awareness that dwarfs OTR's traffic-specialized offering.
- Rocket Lawyer: Subscription-based consumer and SMB legal services platform offering documents, consultations, and attorney access; comparable subscription motion to OTR's Fastlane membership, though with a much broader legal product surface and established membership economics.
Emerging players
- Hire An Esquire: Online platform connecting consumers and small businesses with attorneys on-demand, including traffic-related matters; comparable marketplace model at smaller scale than OTR with broader practice-area coverage.
- UpCounsel: Legal marketplace (now part of Upwork) connecting businesses with vetted attorneys; comparable in online attorney matching philosophy though primarily business-side and higher-value matters rather than consumer traffic defense.
Others
- Justia: Legal information platform offering lawyer directories, free case law access, and marketing services to attorneys; adjacent to OTR through attorney discovery and SEO-driven traffic to legal queries, supporting the same consumer demand for legal help.
- Nolo: Long-standing publisher of do-it-yourself legal information, books, and forms that also routes consumers to attorneys; comparable as a top-of-funnel legal content and referral destination that competes for the same organic traffic-ticket queries OTR ranks for.
- MyImprov Traffic School: Online traffic school and defensive driving course provider that competes for the same post-ticket consumer; complementary rather than directly competitive to OTR (a court outcome path vs. a ticket dismissal via safe-driver school), but a closely adjacent traffic-ticketing brand.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Off The Record social profiles
Digital presenceOff The Record financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Off The Record leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Off The Record subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Off The Record funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Off The Record M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Off The Record
What does Off The Record do?
Off The Record operates an online legal technology marketplace that connects drivers who have received traffic citations with a nationwide network of more than 1,000 vetted local traffic attorneys. The platform uses a proprietary SmartMatch algorithm to match drivers with attorneys based on jurisdiction, charge type, and historical success rates, and provides a money-back guarantee on eligible cases. Customers can book via website or mobile app (iOS and Android), track their case in real time, and avoid court appearances, with all 50 states covered.
Is Off The Record a public or private company?
Off The Record is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Off The Record founded?
Off The Record was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Off The Record based?
Off The Record is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Off The Record make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Attorney Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are fastlane Subscription and referral Program.
Who are Off The Record's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are LegalMatch, Avvo and 1-800-ATTORNEY. Broad incumbents are LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer. Emerging players are Hire An Esquire and UpCounsel. Others are Justia, Nolo and MyImprov Traffic School.
Does Off The Record have an API?
No public API is recorded for Off The Record.