Free 30 min consultation with a solicitor

[AdaBrady]

I see this at least once a week on MN and I’m wondering if it’s actually true?

Going through a divorce? A solicitor will give you 30 mins for free! Have a property dispute? Free 30 mins for you!

Some people on here tout this advice like it’s a public service- “go to see a solicitor, the first 30 mins is free”.

I’ve never seen this in real life. The last time I had cause to engage a solicitor, most I approached were so busy they had a short waiting list before they could meet me.

Based on past experiences of having to wait to see a reputable/recommended solicitor, I think I’d actually be a bit suspicious of one who did free consultations.

I’ve seen charity events where solicitors (or architects) will provide a “free” clinic in return for a charitable donation, but in day-to-day life, I haven’t encountered it.

Has anyone had 30 mins free? Is it a Mumsnet myth?

I have a few times. Once saw the same solicitor twice. Expected a bill but she just smiled and said there wouldn't be one!!
Once was regarding divorce and one an issue with exh but about marital home many years later. Different practices also.

No, it's mostly a myth. There will be some smaller, maybe "one man band" solicitors who'll do it, but most decent sized firms won't. I think it's one of those things that someone posts on internet forums and then everyone else sees the post and passes on duff information on other posts in the future. There's a lot of misinformation on the internet, which is basically nothing more than "gossip" or pub talk!

I had a 30 min free consultation for my divorce. It was really helpful and there was no pressure to use her afterwards.

There's one near me that has a big sign in the window advertising 30 minutes free. I have never had the need to try to use it yet though.

I'm a solicitor. We often speak to prospective clients to get an idea of their problem and how we can help, which we don't charge for and couldn't charge for because we have not properly been instructed at that point. But we can't really give advice in that initial call as it would be negligent to do so without a proper understanding of the facts and reviewing the documents. A solicitor can't give worthwhile advice in 30 minutes. At best you will get a basic steer and generic advice about the likely next steps.

Solicitor here, to. Exactly as the previous poster has said, I don't give free advice, because advising without proper, detailed instructions is risky and very unlikely to be covered by professional indemnity insurance. I will have a brief chat to scope out the issues and explain how I might be able to help, but I don't advise until I have a retainer (contract for legal services) on place, and proper instructions.

It's analogous to a doctor prescribing only after a proper consultation.

The weird thing is we were taught about the 30 free minutes on the LPC course (solicitor training) but I also never came across it in practice.

I’d always assumed it would be a chat to see what help they need and them assessing whether they can provide said help, not actually giving any help beyond next steps. The two solicitors above seem to confirm that.

I did.

But it's a consultation. You tell them the issue, they tell you their perspective and what the law says and how previous similar cases they have handled turned out.

Basically, what you can expect from them.

You don't get anything life changing or a free 30 mins that means you never need to see them again.

It's like getting a quote from a builder. They'll tell you what needs to he done, how they can do it, how long it will take and how much it will cost, you might look at examples of their previous work but, when you walk away from them, your house looks the same.

When I needed a specialist solicitor, I was offered an initial appointment, £20 for 30 mins. He visited me at home for the consultation and spent 2hrs with me then refused to take the £20!

I did hire him in the end and he got ££££s from me, so he was happy!

Citizens advice used to offer it, a solicitor would be there, but I'm talking 20 years ago in our town.

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