QualitySolicitors to put desks in 500 WHSmith branches
WHSmith has agreed a deal to allow QualitySolicitors to place representatives in up to 500 of it branches.
Craig Holt
Initially the lawyers will be based in 150 shops, with the long-term aim of having representatives in 500 stores.
QualitySolicitors was launched as an online legal alliance in 2008, but has since evolved into a high street legal alliance. For an annual fee firms sit on a panel that allows them to pool resources to market services.
The deal with WHSmith is the latest move in the company’s expansion. Under the terms of the deal QualitySolicitors will open a ‘legal access point’ in each of the WHSmith stores and will staff it from a local branch of the alliance.
Solicitors will offer advice on a range of consumer legal matters including conveyancing and will writing. There will also be a television advertising campaign to promote the product.
The alliance is the brainchild of barrister Craig Holt and was launched with the support of Michael Gradon, a former Slaughter and May solicitor and one-time head of legal and commercial at P&O Group.
Holt’s original plan was to have a network of 500 firms signed up to the alliance ahead of the implementation of the Legal Services Act in October. He told The Lawyer in February 2009 that that would give it the economies of scale to compete with new entrants to the profession.
So far the company’s branding is featured on 170 high street firms, with further openings planned.
In October last year Holt told The Lawyer he was in talks with several top 100 firms that are considering signing up to the franchise (7 October 2010).
Holt was unavailable for comment.
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Readers' comments (32)
Hopeful | 14-Apr-2011 10:01 am
This development is certainly to be encouraged. But ultimately the isue comes to price. How cheaper are they going to be, will they offer fixed price services or will they bill by the hour? Are clients going to be confident of an all-inclusive price set in advance and how is this going to work with the provision of a quality legal service?
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Anon | 14-Apr-2011 1:30 pm
Catherine - are you suggesting that all secretaries and cleaners are female? I did not spend 5 years in secretary school followed by 3 years learning to clean, to read comments like that!
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edward walpole-brown 111 | 16-Apr-2011 7:56 am
my idea of 20 years ago! thought Tescos would have taken up the idea first,
perhaps they may take up my inspirational idea of dental hygeine clinics next to the checkouts. Who likes to go to the dentist let alone wait weeks for a cleaning appointment in some remote part of urbanisation?
NHS would no doubt like the idea to ease the cost of next step dentalwork due mainly from lack of cleaning.
there you are - this from the doyone of resolving the present national financial crisis and paying off the national debt with private initiative,
THINK --- TEETH.
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Anonymous | 19-Apr-2011 2:49 pm
I used to work in a high street firm and I really cant see how QS is going to offer the service for less.
High Street lawyers are already working for really low salaries due to low fixed fee work.
How much lower can the salaries go?
Is QS going to get high quality solicitors for 20k per annum because in the high street some solicitors are paid between 20k to 25k.
Even with such low salaries high street solicitors are already going bust.
What will happen is that QS clients will just try and get free legal advice from the employee in WHS. That's waht they do in the high street now. They wont get the traffic they think because it doesn't exist.
Factory conveyancers have now found this out.
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barry pearson | 20-Jun-2011 9:58 pm
use your brain Matthew, they will direct the customers to the local branches, that's got to be the idea :S
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Anonymous | 15-Jul-2011 10:04 am
I think all of you should hold you snobby comments untill you know exactly what will happen as I can tell you have not got a clue. As I will be one of thoes people who will work at the LAP and I can assure you I have never been a cleaner.. What QS are doing is making fair and good standard legal advice available to all people. I guees some think that quality legal help and advice should only be available to thoes who can afford to pay... Thankfully things are changing
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Anonymous | 20-Aug-2011 10:13 pm
I noticed this has been put into both of our local WHSmith stores (neither of which really has the room). They have taken a chunk of magazines and squashed these into already hard to get at mags. There was a lone lady standing there looking rather fed up as no-one gave her a second glance and actually stayed away from that area. What is that telling you? I go in WHSmiths to get either reading material or stationery. End of. Not a flipping will or a divorce - If I want that, then I will approach a solicitors. Bad move WHSmith - I really noticed the place was not half as busy as it usually is today.
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Chris | 7-Sep-2011 12:10 pm
Has everyone missed the point ? The strength of local firms retaining their good name but unifying under a common brand is the only way forward . I am not comparing it to the Estate Agent consolidation of the last two decades but the consolidated dominate the market, with a few big players at the top end.
One brand attracts the end user giving a perception of value, Brittania Removals, Londis to name but a few.
The local firms in time will give up their own name and operate like a franchise, the public will see size and value, there you are High Street domination- mark my words
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justin marshall | 21-Sep-2011 4:28 pm
Just popped into WH Smiths in Aylesbury town and see they have an electronic booth. I knew it was happening but it looks all interactive and everything. Too bad the staff looked miserable and bored. Looks a bit odd I must say. Not very good for confidentiality either. Right next to the magazine racks and queue for checkout!
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Anonymous | 2-Nov-2011 2:13 pm
Apparently some ignorant people think that people don't go to w h smith for wills. Well how comes today I have had at least three people who came into w h smith to buy a 'do I yourself' will, saw our legal access point and decided to use our firm instead. We don't pretend to offer cheaper fees, just to be more accessible and customer friendly. Admittedly some people don't agree with the legal access point but for every one negative comment we have at least ten people who have praised the our work and are now clients of our firm:)
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