Solicitor that offers 10-15 minute free consultation

[sharpend 11]

Used to see these all the time - admittedly via ads in newspapers  - which largely don't exist anymore...

 

Does anyone know of solicitors offering a 10 minute consultation.

 

Thanks in advance

[bendix 10]

They are not particularly helpful.  Usually they will use the 10 minute consultation to tell you what wonderful things they might be able to tell you, if you were paying.  It's good marketing.

 

It might help to know what sort of law you're looking for. Then someone can point you in the right direction.

 

[sharpend 11]

Yes 

Quote

Yes - probably agreed.

I found this though

 

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/law/freelaw

[kevvy 12]

There's one on Pinstone Street, near the old Maplins shop.

[Top Cats Hat 10]

I've not heard many good things about free consultations.

 

Good legal advice depends on gathering information and studying it carefully. A solicitor will not do that in a 10 minute session therefore any advice given would probably be no more helpful than googling a good law site.

[peteh1 10]

Howells solicitors did offer that service, and very worthwhile in my experience.

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

The problem is this: is the enquirer to rely upon the advice?

 

I cannot see how  any solicitor can accurately advise anyone who:

a. is not a client;

b. has not first proven his/her ID/address compliant with Money Laundering Regulations; and

c. (conveyancing or Landlord/Tenant law) is producing documentation previously unseen by the solicitor and expecting an accurate on-the-spot answer.

 

That's quite apart from how the solicitor can make providing a lot of free advice cost-effective. Most firms will help an existing client free, once  the client's bona fides have been verified and the legal position of the client is known at least in outline. But giving multiple free advice risks wholly inadequate advice.

 

 

Edited February 18, 2019 by Jeffrey Shaw

[Top Cats Hat 10]

1 hour ago, Jeffrey Shaw said:

That's quite apart from how the solicitor can make providing a lot of free advice cost-effective. Most firms will help an existing client free, once  the client's bona fides have been verified and the legal position of the client is known at least in outline. But giving multiple free advice risks wholly inadequate advice.

 

It is not altruism, it is marketing.

 

Anyone I know who has sought free legal advice have been given it with the caveat, 'Of course I would need to look at it further to correctly advise you' the implication being that if you want good advice you will have to pay for it.

 

 

 

 

[peteh1 10]

Would that not be the same with any service ?

[spuggy 11]

On ‎18‎/‎02‎/‎2019 at 12:34, kevvy said:

There's one on Pinstone Street, near the old Maplins shop.

If its the one with Brown front, they are far from what their name claims.

I used them a couple of years ago. After the initial "free" consultation (where they actually told me nothing), they lost correspondence, failed to reply to my chase up emails and when they did eventually admit they had lost my emails / letters, they simply cut and pasted my words onto their letter headed paper and sent it off. All at £140 per hour!!

 

"Advice" they gave was poor, and if I had followed their recommendations, it would have left me approximately £20k worse off.

 

The real irony was when their final bill came. They tried to charge me for dealing with my emails chasing up my emails that they had lost!!

 

 

 

[Top Cats Hat 10]

2 minutes ago, spuggy said:

If its the one with Brown front, they are far from what their name claims.

I used them a couple of years ago.

Not sure if it's the same place, but if it was a colleague went there a couple of years ago for some advice on criminal law. After waiting for an hour they were told that all their criminal lawyers were in court but they could see one of their civil lawyers instead.

 

They then spent their entire 15 minute consultation being told. "That is a criminal matter and I can't advise you on that" in response to every question asked.

 

'Bored and disinterested' is how they described them.

[kevvy 12]

Don't shoot the messenger !