In a week when the papers were reporting that two
lawyers had between them squandered almost the entirety of their joint assets
in thrashing out an acrimonious divorce, the Co-operative Legal Services (CLS)
has announced an initiative which promises low cost, jargon free family law
advice on a fixed fee basis.
The service range will cover divorce, child
protection, mediation and financial issues.
CLS are starting initially with a London-based team
of 22 lawyers, but intend to have five regional hubs up and running
shortly. The services will be marketed through its 2,800
local supermarkets and 350 bank branches, giving CLS a significant advantage
over its private practice competitors in terms of brand-awareness. They have gone public previously with a
stated aim to revolutionise the provision of legal services in the UK, and to
create 3,000 new jobs in the sector.
It is rumoured that CLS will offer plain vanilla divorces
for a fixed fee of just £99, and pre-nups for £950.
Martyn Wates,
deputy group chief executive of The Co-operative Group, said: “As a trusted, ethical and approachable
provider offering real value for money we intend to bring a refreshingly
different approach to family law. At a time of major changes in legal aid, 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.”
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