Thanks to The Legal Services Act, businesses outside of the legal profession can now offer a legal advice service – once they have been granted an alternative business structure (ABS) status. One of the first to utilise this change in law is The Co-operative which launched their family law service last week.
The company will offer services associated with family law, which include: child protection, divorce, financial and mediation advice. Initially the service will be telephone based, but people can have a face-to-face meeting in one of company’s commercial properties, but only in London. This is expected to be extended to five key regional hubs in England and Wales.
Speaking of the new service, Martyn Wates, Deputy Chief Executive of The Co-operative said: “As a trusted, ethical and approachable provider offering real value for money we intend to bring a refreshingly different approach to Family Law.
“We believe it’s vital to make it as easy as possible for people to gain access to justice. We are doing this by providing an innovative approach that will appeal to those who are currently reluctant to access family law services.”
The Co-operative has set out four promises that their service will endeavour to keep. These are:
Martyn added: “It is our vision to develop a family law service which will provide a reassuring and trusted option for consumers.
“These are challenging times for both consumer and the legal profession but we intend our new range of services to be easily accessible and affordable.”
Already you can pick up a new TV, a new outfit and a new duvet set whilst doing the weekly food shop. Are the vast majority of services soon going to be available in a supermarket? But do we as consumers really want everything all under one roof?
