A NEWPORT law firm has welcomed the opening of a UK-wide investigation into unregulated legal services offering will-writing, pre-paid probate, and so-called 'quickie' divorces.

The probe has been initiated by the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA), which said unregulated alternatives in to standard law firms should still be bound by the same consumer protection laws.

The investigation will specifically target three areas: will-writing, pre-paid probate, and online 'quickie' divorce services.

In the context of will-writing, the CMA is addressing concerns related to:

  • Potentially misleading advertisements promising low initial fees but failing to mention potential significant cost increases;
  • The use of unfair contract terms, such as the exclusion of liability, lack of cancellation rights, and terms which automatically appoint the firm as executor;
  • Instances of reported pressure selling and coercive practices targeting vulnerable customers.

Regarding pre-paid probate, the investigation aims to tackle:

  • Cases of pressure selling, particularly targeting elderly and vulnerable individuals;
  • Insufficient transparency regarding covered costs;
  • Plans that are unnecessary or fail to serve their purpose;
  • Limited awareness among customers about the security of their funds.

In the realm of 'quickie' online divorces, the CMA is concerned about:

  • Misleading claims about the simplicity and cost of the process;
  • Complaints about sub-par service quality, including incorrect forms, inaccurate details, and late submissions to the court.

Claire Davis, a specialist consultant at Newport-based Bellavia & Associates who is also director of Solicitors for the Elderly - which represents legal workers specialising in working with people in later life - welcomed the announcement of the investigation.

She said: "With will-writers in particular, and where these companies branch out to the creation of trusts, we are contacted by consumers who have been misled, overcharged, appointed the company as executors, and to a certain extent, coerced through a total lack of understanding about what they are doing.

“In addition, many of these documents are simply wrong and need law firms to help put them right.”

Zep Bellavia, managing director of Bellavia & Associates, said: “This CMA investigation highlights the importance of getting the right legal advice at times when people are often at their most vulnerable.

“Unregulated online services may appear to be convenient, quicker and cheaper but there are a host of hidden dangers – and without the proper application and enforcement of consumer laws, many people end up out of pocket.

"Indeed, the old adage ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ springs to mind.”