1.1.These general terms and conditions ("T&Cs") govern the use of the Platform by any individual or legal entity who creates a client account and books a service via the Platform (the "Client").

1.2.Role of SOS Expat. SOS Expat is a connection platform: (i) with independent lawyers ("Lawyers"), and/or (ii) with independent expat helpers ("Helpers"). SOS Expat is not a law firm, does not provide legal, medical, tax, or regulated advice, and is not a party to the service contract concluded between the Client and the provider (Lawyer/Helper).

1.3.Electronic Acceptance (click-wrap). By checking the acceptance box and/or using the Platform, the Client accepts these T&Cs, which constitutes a valid electronic signature within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (eIDAS) and equivalent national legislation.

1.4.Acceptance Traceability. SOS Expat maintains a timestamped audit log (UTC) including: IP address, session identifier, user agent, T&Cs version, digital fingerprint (hash) of the accepted document, and unique Client identifier. This data constitutes admissible evidence of acceptance.

1.5.Retention of Evidence. Acceptance logs are retained for ten (10) years after the Client's last activity or account closure. A certificate of acceptance may be issued upon request.

1.6.Changes. We may update the T&Cs and/or prices/fees with prospective effect by posting on the Platform. Any substantial change affecting the Client's rights or obligations will be notified and will require renewed acceptance for existing Clients. Continued use after notification constitutes acceptance.

1.7.Duration. These T&Cs are concluded for an indefinite period.

2.1.Age and Capacity. The Client declares they are at least 18 years old and legally competent. For legal entities, the user declares they are authorized to bind the company.

2.2.Accuracy of Information. Information provided (identity, contact methods, country, purpose of request) must be accurate and up-to-date.

2.3.Client Declarations and Warranties. By creating an account and using the Platform, the Client expressly declares and warrants that:

2.4.Proper Use & Good Faith. The Client shall not engage in any unlawful or abusive use (fraud, illegal content, harassment, infringement of third-party rights, payment diversion, identity theft, etc.) and undertakes to use the Platform solely for legitimate purposes and in good faith, presenting their situation honestly to the Provider. The Platform is not intended for: (i) obtaining fraudulent advice or advice used for illicit purposes; (ii) testing or evaluating Providers without their knowledge; (iii) collecting advice from multiple Providers without serious intent to engage. SOS Expat is not an emergency service: no use for medical, life-threatening, or immediate emergency situations (police, fire, ambulance, embassies in distress). In an emergency, the Client must immediately contact local emergency services.

2.5.Account Security. The Client protects their login credentials. Any activity carried out via their account is deemed to have been performed by them. In case of suspected compromise, the Client must immediately change their password and inform SOS Expat.

2.6.Availability. The Platform is provided "as-is": uninterrupted availability is not guaranteed (maintenance, incidents, force majeure).

3.1.Calls with Lawyers — Non-Formal Nature. Short orientation consultations (e.g., 20 minutes). The Lawyer remains solely responsible for their advice and compliance with their professional ethics/local laws. The Client expressly acknowledges that the phone consultation provided through the Platform constitutes first-level legal orientation and does NOT replace a formal and complete attorney-client relationship (in-depth case analysis, document review, court representation, drafting of legal acts, ongoing follow-up). For any matter requiring full handling, the Client must enter into a separate engagement letter with the Lawyer or another duly authorized professional, outside the Platform. No formal attorney-client relationship within the meaning of local ethical and procedural rules (mandate, engagement letter, fee agreement) is established by the mere connection.

3.2.Calls with Helpers — Unregulated Assistance. Unregulated assistance (practical guidance, informal translation, local contacts, expat experience sharing...). No legal, medical, tax, financial, real estate, or regulated advice without an appropriate local license. The Client acknowledges that the Helper is not a regulated professional and that the exchange is an expatriate experience sharing, with no binding legal or medical value.

3.3.No Guarantee of Outcome. SOS Expat does not guarantee the outcome, quality, accuracy, suitability for specific needs, or availability of Providers. The Client is the sole judge of the relevance of any information received and remains free to have it verified by another professional.

4.1.Price Display. The total price shown at booking includes:

4.2.Connection Fee (indicative flat rate). Connection Fees are currently EUR 19 or USD 25 per connection. These amounts are indicative and may be modified at any time by SOS Expat, with prospective effect. Local rates by country/currency may be published. The applicable price is the one displayed at the time of booking.

4.3.Currencies & Conversion. Prices may be offered in multiple currencies. Payment provider fees and exchange rates may apply. The Client is informed of the exact amount in their currency before confirmation.

4.4.Taxes. Displayed prices include, where applicable, VAT or applicable taxes on the Connection Fees. Providers remain responsible for their own tax obligations.

4.5.Transparency. No hidden fees. The price displayed at the time of booking is the final price, except for currency conversion fees applied by the payment provider or the Client's bank.

5.1.Definition of "Connection." Connection is deemed to have occurred when: (a) Client–Provider contact information is transmitted, and/or (b) a call/messaging/video channel is opened via the Platform, and/or (c) the Provider accepts a Client request.

5.2.Call Attempts. For immediate calls: the Platform makes up to three (3) attempts within approximately 15 minutes (unless stated otherwise in-app).

5.3.Provider Unavailability. If no connection could be established after the attempts, the booking is canceled and the Client is fully refunded the total price paid.

5.4.Client Non-Response. If connection has occurred (per 5.1) but the Client does not achieve an effective exchange (no answer, busy, refusal, premature termination), payment remains due and non-refundable.

5.5.Communication Quality. The Client must be in an area with sufficient coverage and use compatible equipment. SOS is not responsible for third-party network interruptions.

6.1.Information. If the Client is a consumer and local mandatory law provides a right of withdrawal, it may be exercised within legal deadlines unless the Client requests immediate execution of the service.

6.2.Waiver. By booking an immediate or scheduled call before the legal deadline expires, the Client requests immediate execution and acknowledges that, once the service is fully performed, they lose their right of withdrawal. In case of partial execution before withdrawal, the Client must pay for the portion already provided and the connection fee, which are non-refundable.

6.3.Formality. The Platform collects explicit acceptance of these points at booking, when required.

7.1.Single Payment & Allocation. The Client makes a single payment via the Platform covering (i) the Provider's share and (ii) the connection fee. SOS (or its payment provider) collects, deducts its fees, and transfers the balance to the Provider.

7.2.Payment Security & PCI-DSS. Payments are processed exclusively by third-party payment providers certified PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard):

7.3.Chargebacks/Disputes. In case of payment dispute, SOS may provide strictly necessary data to the payment provider and suspend related services/payments. Any abusive or bad-faith chargeback may result in account suspension and a claim for the amounts due, without prejudice to any other remedy.

7.4.Compensation. If a refund is granted to the Client, the corresponding share is deducted from the relevant provider; SOS may offset against future payments.

7.5.Currencies and Conversion. Payments may be offered in multiple currencies. Foreign exchange fees charged by the payment provider or the Client's issuing bank are borne by the Client and SOS Expat has no control over the exchange rates applied.

8.1.General. Except for mandatory legal provisions:

8.2.Client Cancellation Before Connection. Full refund.

8.3.Provider Cancellation. Full refund. SOS may offer rerouting to another available provider.

8.4.Technical Issues Attributable to SOS. Refund or re-credit at SOS discretion, to the extent permitted by law.

9.1.Respect & Recording Prohibition. The Client agrees to behave respectfully and to not record, film, fully transcribe, or share the exchange (audio, video, screenshot) without the prior and explicit consent of the Provider and in compliance with applicable local laws. Any breach may result in immediate account suspension and engage the Client's civil and/or criminal liability.

9.2.Recording by SOS Expat. By default, SOS Expat does NOT record the audio content of calls between Client and Provider. Only technical metadata is retained: timestamps, duration, session identifiers, connection status. SOS Expat reserves the right to enable temporary audio recording in strictly limited cases: (i) suspicion of fraud, (ii) report of abuse or unlawful behavior, (iii) order from a competent judicial authority, (iv) protection of vital interests of a person. In such cases, the Client will be informed at the start of the call and the recording will be retained for a maximum of six (6) months (unless extended by judicial proceedings), in line with CNIL recommendations and GDPR.

9.3.Provided Content. Information provided must be honest, accurate, and lawful. The Client indemnifies SOS and the Provider against claims related to illegal content they provide.

9.4.Reporting. Any abuse can be reported via the contact form. SOS Expat handles reports within a reasonable time and may suspend any account or service in case of suspected breach, without prejudice to any further action.

10.1.Data Controller. For data strictly necessary for connection, SOS Expat (WorldExpat OÜ) and the Provider (Lawyer/Helper) each act as independent data controllers for their respective purposes, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR).

10.2.Data Collected. SOS Expat collects the following data: identity, contact details, country of residence, purpose of request, payment data (processed by third-party providers), connection data (IP, timestamp, device), booking history.

10.3.Legal Bases & Purposes.

10.4.Retention Period. Data is retained for the duration of the contractual relationship, then archived for legal limitation periods (5 to 10 years depending on the data).

10.5.International Transfers. Data may be transferred outside the European Economic Area with appropriate safeguards (standard contractual clauses, adequacy decision, etc.).

10.6.Client Rights. The Client has the following rights: access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, objection. Exercise via the Platform's contact form or by email.

10.7.Security. Reasonable technical and organizational measures (encryption, access control, audits). Data breach notification within 72 hours in accordance with GDPR.

10.8.DSA Compliance. The Platform operates as an intermediary service within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (Digital Services Act). SOS Expat implements mechanisms for reporting illegal content and cooperates with competent authorities.

12.1.Connection Role Only. SOS Expat is exclusively a technical connection platform. SOS Expat:

12.2.Independent Providers. Lawyers and Helpers are independent professionals, solely responsible for their advice, services, and compliance with their legal and ethical obligations. SOS Expat disclaims all liability for any damage suffered by the Client as a result of a Provider's services.

12.3.Limitation of Liability. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law and without prejudice to mandatory consumer rights:

12.4.No Warranty. The Platform is provided "as is" and "as available." SOS Expat does not guarantee:

12.5.Force Majeure. SOS Expat is not liable for delays or failures caused by force majeure events (natural disaster, war, pandemic, cyberattack, power or internet outage, government decision, strike, etc.).

12.6.Client-Provider Disputes. Any dispute between the Client and a Provider is exclusively a matter of their direct relationship. SOS Expat does not intervene in such disputes and cannot be held liable as a party, guarantor, or mediator.

13.1.Governing Law.

13.2.ICC Arbitration.

13.3.Waiver of Class Actions and Jury Trial. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law and without prejudice to mandatory consumer rights:

13.4.Estonian Courts Jurisdiction. For any non-arbitrable claim, exequatur (enforcement of arbitral awards), or interim/conservatory measures, Estonian courts in Tallinn have exclusive jurisdiction, without prejudice to the consumer Client's right to bring proceedings before the courts of their place of residence.

13.5.Prior Mediation. Before initiating any arbitration or court proceedings, the parties are encouraged to attempt to resolve the dispute amicably through good faith negotiation for a period of thirty (30) days from written notice of the dispute.

13.6.Limitation Period. Any action or claim by a non-consumer Client against SOS Expat must be brought within one (1) year from the date the cause of action arose. Limitation periods applicable to consumers are those provided by the mandatory law of their place of residence.

14.1.Suspension and Closure. SOS Expat may temporarily suspend or permanently close the Client's account, with immediate effect, in the following cases:

14.2.Closure by Client. The Client may close their account at any time via their personal space or by contacting support. Closure does not entitle the Client to any refund for services already consumed.

14.3.Entire Agreement. These T&Cs constitute the complete agreement between SOS Expat and the Client for use of the Platform and supersede any prior agreement.

14.4.Languages. Translations may be provided for information purposes; English prevails for interpretation in case of discrepancy.

14.5.Partial Invalidity. If a provision is void or unenforceable, the remainder remains in force; it may be replaced by a valid clause of equivalent effect.

14.6.Geographic Severability. If a clause of these T&Cs is declared void, unenforceable, or illegal in a particular jurisdiction, this decision does not affect the validity of that same clause in other jurisdictions where it remains lawful and enforceable.

14.7.No Waiver. Failure to exercise a right does not constitute waiver.

14.8.Assignment. SOS Expat may assign the T&Cs to a group entity or successor. The Client may not assign without SOS Expat's written consent.

14.9.Evidence. Computer records maintained in SOS Expat's and its Providers' systems constitute evidence until proven otherwise.