If ever proof was needed that the threat of ‘supermarket law’ is real, readers should take another look at the article by Deven Pamben in the Gazette on 23rd April 2009.
It is alleged that Co-operative’s legal services department are cold calling customers of ‘Funeralcare’ offering free "legal advice" about probate.
David Bawn an associate at Newcastle firm Gibson and Co reported that several clients who had organised funerals of their loved ones through Co-operative Funeralcare are being subsequently contacted, on some occasions more than once, by Co-op legal services to try and obtain instructions for the Co-op to extract probate.
The Co-op approach being to tell potential clients that solicitors are expensive and time consuming, whereas they the Co-op are cheaper and more efficient.
This alleged cold calling practice has been condemned by many and the Law Society’s Wills and Equity Committee are set to consider the matter.
The committee’s chair Helen Clarke was quoted in the Gazette as saying ‘We have one example of a client who said they did not want legal advice being rung back and offered it. That’s not acceptable,’
Nigel Dodds, Law Society Council member for Northumbria, is similarly said: ‘It is unfortunate that the Co-op sees fit to exploit their connections with the bereaved to an unrelated market when the people concerned are not in the best position to make the best choice’ according to the Gazette.
Co-operative appears unrepentant with a spokesman telling Deven Pamben ‘Because its probate work is carried out by the Co-operative Trust Corporation, and the SRA does not regulate trusts, regulation would be the responsibility of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform’.
Is this a sign of things to come? Will we have to get used to our clients being targeted in this way? I think we know the answer to this.
We might not like this approach but we must learn from it because we know that it is what we will be up against.
We can no longer rely on the client who we acted for 5 years ago coming back to us again and must start to use our databases to ensure we build and maintain client relationships.
Cleansing and maintaining ones database and keeping regular contact with client is going to be an essential part of the high street practice together with well co-coordinated marketing strategy.
Steve Battarbee
Director
Nationwide Solicitors Alliance