TIME has named two legal technology startups as among the 100 Best Inventions of 2020: the bankruptcy startup Upsolve and the consumer arbitration platform FairShake.

Regarding Upsolve, the publication cited its free nonprofit tool for helping people avoid the high cost of personal bankruptcy.

“Upsolve’s software fixes that, helping users complete the complex legal paperwork so that they can file for bankruptcy without hiring a lawyer,” TIME said.

It said that since Upsolve launched in 2018, it has helped relieve more than $250 million in total debt nationwide.

“The cruel irony in America is that it can cost $1,500 in court filing and attorney fees to tell the court you have no money,” Upsolve founder Rohan Pavuluri told TIME.

As to FairShake, TIME said it helps consumers seek restitution after a big company rips them off or mistreats them.

“FairShake makes battling the big guys easy, with a free service that automates the process of filing an arbitration claim,” TIME said.

If the matter isn’t settled within a certain period, FairShake can initiate a legal ­complaint, with assistance from a real attorney if need be, TIME said.

To create its annual list, TIME solicited nominations both from its editors and correspondents around the world, and through an online application process. It then evaluated each contender on key factors, including originality, creativity, effectiveness, ambition and impact.

Photo of Bob Ambrogi Bob Ambrogi

Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.