I'm curious what people think of this service. Is it useful? Does it fill a niche? Is it a niche that thinks it's wider than a niche and an "innovative" (as some have been wont to call it) service, even panacea to perceived inadequacies in current advice provision? Will it work - I believe there have been other attempts at the 'telephone booth/video conferencing' advice delivery model, but I had always assumed these didn't get anywhere?

Has anyone got any info on its charging structure, which presumably kicks in after the first free 20 minutes? Who is it aimed at - presumably, not the people currently entitled to legal aid given that there is a charge for ongoing work?

Is this simply a private sector attempt at a 'telephone gateway', but for the better off: if there's money in it for the provider (with a cut for Instant Law?), people will be helped; if the caller can't pay ongoing fees or the case doesn't have enough of a risk-to-profit ratio, they will be signposted to their local face-to-face provider AKA local CABx or law centre etc? How might this work when there is a telephone gateway, assuming it gets through in LASPO?

Lots of questions, and I don't profess to know the answers. However, someone does so, hopefully we can discuss it. Any thoughts or answers, please feel free to reply here

Network, I did contact them directly, via twitter at least - providing the link to here and asking them politely if they want to come back to me by email if that's easier than replying here

And why is it always so difficult talking to you, Network? What's with the "nerve" and "bottle"? There always seems to be a tone of disguised contempt in your messages - what gives? If anything, it makes for an unpleasant discussion and is quite unnecessary, if not unprofessional. That's a gentle warning, by the way; let's keep the tone constructive

Hi Patrick

Instant Law UK now on-line and will stay online for a while happy to receive any of your questions.
Wwe may try to give a brief over view of what Instant Law UK are trying to do, without using the site to promote the service.

Message for Patrick: If you think Networks threads are rude or a pain then you need to see their e-mail correspondence with us.


We have had an opportunity to view many of the threads and views regarding the Instant Law UK service (including those from (Network).

Instant Law UK is one of the services which will be launched on the Instant Advice Network (IAN).

The aim of IAN is to create a national video conf advice service/network.
Legal services is only one of the services we are seeking to introduce.


What is IAN?

IAN is made up of two groups. If we think about it as a brain (apologise if patronizing).

Right hand side is made up of colleagues who have worked with nfp/public sector.
Left hand side is made up colleagues who have no experience of working with or within the nfp/public sector.

Both sides agree that we have developed the technology to link user directly with a range of service providers, via a standard BT broadband line.

Locations::

It was clear from meetings with a number of nfps etc that it was unlikely that we would be allowed to trail the service within their locations, or them trialling the delivering of the service. Hence working with library services.


Delivery:

One side of IAN believes that it is highly unlikely that a private sector company would be able to work with nfp in a cost affective way.

In order to take it forward we have recruited private solicitors to deliver service. However one side of IAN believes it is possible for Private sector to work cost effectively with nfp. We have entered into a commercial agreement with a law centre. This allows us to buy advice service directly from nfp.

If this works, we may look at combining are in house solicitors with the purchase of services from nfp advice centres.

Competition with nfp?

We do not see Instant Law UK as competitor to nfp advice sector.
We noted a comment regarding the possibility of a user requiring on-going representation and the need for client to be referred to a local advice agency.

This is already happening. If a nfp can not represent someone they often refer to a solicitors firm. I am sure we would not say that the referring agency is not required simply because they can not undertake casework or representation.