‘ Millions at risk of overpaying for legal advice’
MANY people are at risk of paying over the odds to get legal advice for common events such as moving home or divorcing, research suggests.
A new study indicates major regional differences in the cost of legal help, with law firms in London around a third more expensive than those in other parts of England and Wales and northern England the cheapest.
The Legal Services Board ( LSB), which conducted the research with the Competition and Markets Authority ( CMA), said the public should shop around to get a “good value” deal.
The study, based on a survey of 1,500 law firms across England and Wales, looked at three areas – moving house, wills, trusts and probate issues and getting a divorce – using 15 different scenarios.
These included selling a freehold property, buying a leasehold property, a complex divorce involving disagreements over assets and an individual standard will.
The LSB, which oversees regulators of legal services in England and Wales, said it is estimated that around 560,000 people pay for these services each year.
The research findings show that overall, across all three areas, firms based in London were 33 per cent more expensive on average than those based elsewhere. Those in the north of England were 20 per cent cheaper on average than elsewhere, and those in Wales 17 per cent cheaper.
An analysis by the LSB indicates that in London, the average legal cost of moving house – selling or buying a freehold property – is £ 1,945, while the cheapest area is the North of England, encompassing the North- West, North- East and Yorkshire and the Humber, at £ 1,375.
The capital is the most expensive place for a simple divorce, with an average cost of £ 908, compared with the North, which was said to be the cheapest at £ 605.
LSB chairwoman Dr Helen Phillips said: “Whether buying a home, getting divorced, or making a will, we encourage people to shop around to find a good value deal that meets their needs.
“Unless they shop around, people risk paying far more than they need to.
“Where people don’t feel they need to deal with a lawyer face to face, they could make considerable savings by using providers in parts of the country where prices are cheaper.”