Company strikes deal to provide legal advice via webcam from libraries

A legal video conferencing business has agreed deals with two local authorities to provide library users with free access to online advice, it has been reported.

According to regulation website Legal Futures, Instant Law UK will launch the service in Birmingham Central Library and Westminster Council’s Marylebone and research libraries on 5 March.

Users will access the service through a dedicated computer screen and webcam in a secure location in the library.

It is expected that after an initial trial, the service will be rolled out to other libraries.

Instant Law – which already has kiosks in shopping centres – told Legal Futures that it planned to sign up four other regions by April.

The initial free advice will be provided by employed solicitors. Those users who go on to instruct a solicitor will be referred to law firm network HighStreetLawyer.com. Instant Law is also understood to be in talks with two barristers’ chambers.

Douglas Laird, business development manager at Birmingham Central Library, said: “Providing additional, vital and useful services to our library users is part of our continuing strategy. We feel that there is a gap in the market for an easy to access and use legal advice service and the in-library computer-based solution provided by Instant Law UK fills this gap.”

Instant Law’s managing director, Ian Dodd, said: “Public access is a fast-growing service some law firms are offering. However, people can often find it difficult to fix a convenient appointment time to discuss their problems and some find solicitors’ premises rather intimidating. Having a secure and private environment in a library overcomes these problems and provides a professional advice service.”