The premise that legal modernization requires dramatic reform is both overstated and misread. In many cases, the more enduring reforms are the quieter ones — the administrative, the procedural, and the contractual. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's introduction of a Unified Legal Contract for Lawyers is a case in point.
What is being reformed is not the concept of legal advocacy, nor the essence of client representation, but the structure that holds it together. The reform requires that the relationship between lawyers and their clients be formalized, standardized, and digitally registered through Najiz, the national digital justice platform.
The Minister of Justice and Chairman of the Saudi Bar Association, Walid Al-Samaani, has launched the Unified Contract for Lawyer Fees to regulate the contractual relationship between lawyers and their clients within a transparent and reliable legal framework — promoting preventive justice.
The contract covers legal representation, consultations, and preparation of legal documents. It ensures documentation of all related transactions, such as fee payments, delivery and receipt of documents, and notices exchanged between parties.
This is not just a form or a template. It is a development of the legal system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that aligns with Vision 2030.
Under this new framework, the contractual relationship between lawyer and client will be standardized, digitized, and protected under a national system. It ensures that legal representation is not only professional but also transparent. Everything from fees to the scope of services will now be recorded in a formal, binding digital contract.
This move asserts a powerful principle: justice begins at the moment of agreement, not after a dispute. No more confusion. No verbal promises. Just law in writing.
This model fits within a broader global pattern. In the United Kingdom, the Solicitor Regulation Authority strongly recommends the use of Client Care Letters, offering clients a formal description of service scope, fees, and grievance procedures.
In Australia, the Legal Profession Uniform Law Australian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules 2015 requires uniform legal disclosure laws and standardized engagement terms — especially in New South Wales, where law firms must provide clear contracts and cost notices.
In the United States, while regulation varies by state, most law firms use formal engagement letters — often guided by bar association ethics rules — to define obligations and expectations in writing.
In the United Arab Emirates, the E-Notary system allows parties to register and verify legal agreements remotely. It is an effort to build confidence and reduce dispute.
However, unlike other jurisdictions, the Saudi model integrates the contract into a national digital justice system from the beginning. This makes the contract not just a document but part of a larger structure of accountability, enforceability, and transparency.
This is what is meant by preventive justice — where clarity, formality, and mutual protection are present from the outset. It reduces harm by defining rights and duties at the moment of agreement. Everyone wins. Trust increases.
As mentioned above, this transformation aligns with Vision 2030. The goal is not merely to modernize the legal system, but to build a culture of legal confidence. Legal modernization in the Kingdom is not just institutional reform. It is a cultural shift.
