Today marks the implementation of the Legal Services Act provisions regarding the external ownership of law firms by non lawyers, the introduction of so called “Tesco Law”. This means high street retailers and other organisations can from today offer legal services to the public.
The idea behind the move is to offer more choice to the consumer, however some have expressed concern over the quality and independence of the advice which may be given where there are external commercial pressures on the lawyers offering advice to the public.
Whilst it may be argued the change may help to drive down the cost of legal services to the public, it remains to be seen whether the quality of that advice will also be diminished. Therefore consumers of legal services should think carefully before instructing such companies to undertake their home conveyancing for example, and ensure they are instructing a solicitor who will personally handle their case and be readily available to assist and guide them, a service Cunningtons pride themselves in offering, rather than settle for an impersonal service from a call centre style company.
