A SOLICITORS firm which has operated a free weekly legal advice surgery for the last 25 years has turned to technology to keep the service going.

Farleys Solicitors has run its ‘Saturday Surgery’, staffed by solicitors from across the firm, from its offices in Richmond Terrace, Blackburn, but will now be offering the 15 minute advice appointments either by video call or telephone because of coronavirus social distancing guidelines.

Farleys said that despite continuing to operate an uninterrupted service to clients during the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdown and social distancing has posed practical problems and limitations for people visiting the offices to access the advice clinic, which cover a wide spectrum of legal queries.

They said the pandemic has also brought a new wave of enquiries in relation to the spread of coronavirus and its effects on people’s lives generally including employment, finances and general rights.

With a lot of the firm’s new initial consultations and instructions now taking place via video call or telephone whilst social distancing continues, the firm’s regular family law advice clinic now operates as a telephone based advice service – on Thursdays between 5pm and 7pm – and Farleys are now taking the Saturday Surgery online, whereby people can book in a free appointment to discuss their issue confidentially with a solicitor.

Michael Corrigan, senior partner from Farleys, said: “This is not the first crisis we have seen in our 60 years of business and in our usual stoic fashion we embrace the changes that this brings, hence taking our popular free legal advice clinic online.

“Providing this service has always been a crucial part of what we do as a business to put something back into the local community."

Appointments for the next clinic will take place from 3pm to 5pm on Wednesday and can be booked on a first come, first served basis online at www.farleys.com or by calling 01254 368 711.