Three councils in Staffordshire set up shared legal service

Called Southern Staffordshire Legal Services, it will bring together five solicitors who will offer a legal service to all three councils.

Jointly funded, the shared service will be hosted by South Staffordshire Council.

The team specialises in local government law, including planning, elections, property, contract and regulatory law.

The solicitors will visit the councils regularly to meet with officers and hold legal surgeries. They will also provide training sessions and materials on legal matters, including planning, data protection, freedom of information and more.

Cllr Angela Lax, Cabinet Member for Legal & Regulatory Services at Lichfield, said: “This innovative new shared service means we can benefit from a relatively large team of solicitors who specialise in local government law while keeping our costs down.

“It is reassuring to know we will be able to deal with most of our legal questions and cases in-house, saving both time and expense, which is great news for all three councils and the communities we serve.”