From Bristol24-7
Shoppers visiting WHSmith in Bristol can now access legal services when buying their newspapers, books and stationery thanks to a new partnership with legal firm QualitySolicitors Burroughs Day.
“Legal Access Points” were yesterday introduced in more than one hundred stores across the UK, including at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway and the Clifton Down Shopping Centre branches of WHSmith.
Trained staff will be able to offer quotes for conveyancing, book appointments for legal advice and sell vouchers for wills. Programmed iPad ‘apps’ will be used by staff to book appointments with QualitySolicitors Burroughs Day.
There are also four other branches where the public can pick up information on legal services, at the WHSmith stores at Clevedon, Clifton Village, Temple Meads Station and Bristol Airport.
The move by QualitySolicitors pre-empts the arrival of the Legal Services Act in October 2011. Soon, non-legal organisations such as banks and supermarkets will be able to offer legal services, posing a potential threat to traditional ‘high street’ law firms.
QualitySolicitors chief executive Craig Holt said: “The WHSmith partnership with QualitySolicitors provides accessible, consumer-friendly legal services. The actual legal work is carried out by leading local law firms with specialist lawyers, not unqualified staff in a remote call centre.”
WHSmith store manager at Cribbs Causeway, Paul Thomas added: “We’re confident that a large number of our customers will be keen to take advantage of the new Legal Access Point in our store. There is a clear demand among consumers for cost-effective and accessible legal services and we’re delighted to be working with QualitySolicitors Burroughs Day to meet this demand.”
