to wonder why people think lawyers give up their time free?

[RaspberryCoulis]

See it all the time on threads - go and see a lawyer, you'll get 30 minutes free advice.

Where does this myth come from?

@Camphillgirl
Yeah. Apparently I shouldn't really count on them if I am ever charged with murder😂
Yes. I asked

In the very long ago dim and distant past there was a thing called green form legal aid, whereby a solicitor could claim legal aid for a half hour appointment and get paid for it, hence they would often do drop in clinics for a half hour free appointment, the client wasn't paying but the solicitors were being paid.
It is now easier to shit in the Queen's handbag that it is to get legal aid and the green form scheme has long since been scrapped but this myth persists.
A solicitor will see you for an initial free appointment just to check whether you have a case worthwhile taking on or not, but they won't do any work or provide a detailed advice.

I give free advice regularly. For existing clients.

New clients can get a ‘steer’ on what I think, but it’s usually just practical and I am clear that I haven’t a grasp on their facts and haven’t conducted any analysis.

It’s ok @SchrodingersImmigrant you’d get Legal Aid for that.

Because outside every single solicitors in our town is an A board with 'free half hour' written on it.

Yeah I think there is some confusion on here too.

Initial consultation is often not charged for, it’s more a brief discussion on the facts of the case and if it’s proceedable etc

It’s not to talk quickly and try to get your divorce sorted without paying for it.

Loss leader like any other business.

I’ve never worked anywhere that offered 30 minutes free as standard and it is exasperating that people expect it.

What I would do is discuss potential claims on the phone for up to 20 minutes in very general, non specific and non legal terms, but anything else would have to be paid for.

I’ve actually had potential clients shout at me on the phone for wasting their time after I discussed their claims at length and then had the audacity to give a fee quote for a meeting and to look at their case!

Some solicitors offer it, but it’s an opportunity to establish whether they’d be able to take your case on and give you some indication of the process and their approach. On MN that somehow gets extrapolated to it being some sort of right to request 30 minutes of free legal advice on whatever you need to enable you to bypass having to employ a solicitor. It just gives inaccurate expectations to often desperate posters.

@0ntheg0again

Also that most home insurance have all this massive allowance for legal fees really?

@0ntheg0again

Legal protection often comes with home insurance, either as a standard feature or optional addition

www.directline.com/home-cover/magazine/family-legal-protection

Because it’s true?

I had an issue once and my local solicitors talks me through it for free. It was very helpful.

Everyone wants something for free now. My husband has a specialist business. We get at least 2 calls a day from people doing the job themselves wanting to know how to do something or where something goes. Despite signs all over our door saying the unit isn’t open at the moment people even turn up unannounced just to find stuff out or try to get something for free. Honestly a lady the day other bought in something she’d bought herself and wanted us to fit it. We gave her a price of £100 plus VAT and she said “oh I haven’t got any money at the moment” 🙄

It does seem to me that there is a belief on MN that this is a legal entitlement and as a solicitor it's annoying. I was called a stuck up bitch once on the phone because I said my employer didn't offer a free consultation.

I agree with this. Very few firms give 30 min free advice. None that i have previously worked for. My current firm does but only for family matters and only if you're a signed up client, so the first 30 min consultation is knocked off your bill

The way it's laid out is that you can breeze into any lawyer's office, with your full formed and documented legal issue, and every one will sit you down for your 30 minutes free advice.

I have been on here about ten years and never seen that.

I have often seen the advice that many family law firms offer 30 minutes free advice. That's because that is true. Pretty much all the family law firms in my area do this. Obviously doesn't mean they all do.

I actually got a very high profile firm to take my divorce on pro bono which was lovely of them and I was incredibly grateful.

Well every single one in my town does, same for many financial advisors here too.

Lots of businesses give their time for free to quote for work. How else would you do it?

I got a free 30 minute call with a solicitor a couple of years ago. I emailed a few to ask about costs and two or three offered this. After that it was £150 to £200 per hour, so I'm sure they can afford to take a hit on a few who just take the freebie.

I agree with the poster who said no solicitor should be offering advice without terms of engagement in place - they are completely exposed if they do that.

However, it is common for the initial exploratory chat with the client not to be billed - that is usually about figuring out whether you need to speak to Sarah in Commercial or Doug in pensions and giving you the list of docs we need for KYC purposes.

I used the legal cover provided on my home insurance policy. Ironically my lawyer had to make the case for it which was heavily scrutinised by their legal terms before it was agreed in tranches. Getting them to agree to me using my ( highly specialised) lawyer vs their own team was another lengthy negotiation.

Essentially nobody gives anything away for free, it’s more of an opportunity for the professional to decide if it is a case worth their time. The more lucrative the case the more ‘free’ time they will risk.

That 30 minutes can be invaluable to sort your thoughts out and know what the plan is going forward. It’s not a myth, certainly not where I live. It’s a separate 30 minute no obligation consultation. Maybe not all firms do it but from experience there are family ones round here that do.

I found 2 nearby. Spent 30 minutes with both. Free. Then picked the one I preferred. Subsequently she billed me for every phone call and email. Which is fine.

Loads do it. Perhaps it's their way of filtering out unsuitable or undesirable clients.

And loads of people do free stuff as a marketing or goodwill gesture.

because some solicitors do offer 30 minutes free. It is enough time to get a basic idea to mull over and also to decide which solicitor is the one to use ongoing.

Not all solicitors offer it, but some do. A lot round here do. I had some myself.

The peoblem is the "get your 30 free min and sort this" thing.

While most people know that in 99.9% of situations this is just to speak to them to see where you are at and if they take your case or you hire them, it often appears on here in a different sense.
"I don't have money for solicitor"
"That's fine just get your 30 free min, that will sort you"
Well, no. It won't. It's like telling people who need building work done to "get their 30 min free with the builder". Builders do come for free to see the job and gove a quote, but that doesn't mean they will do any actial work for me at that inotial meeting. Because why would they do atuff for free completely.

I think someon somewhere misunderstood that "free" time and it caught on.