Free legal helpline for PCA members

24th March 2014

EXPERT legal advice is just a phone call away for members of the Property Care Association thanks to a new helpline service.

The PCA has joined forces with solicitors Lupton Fawcett Denison Till to provide the service for members in England and Wales. Legal firm Brodies will administer the helpline for Scottish members. The new Legal Helpline offers members up to 30 minutes of free preliminary advice on subjects such as commercial contracts, property and leases as well as company sale or purchase. Steve Hodgson, PCA Chief Executive, said: -This is an excellent addition to the range of services and benefits provided by the PCA. The Legal Helpline will be manned by a team of dedicated solicitors who can draw on a wealth of expert knowledge during the initial consultation and will be able to indicate whether further legal help is necessary. Access to this kind of preliminary advice on issues such as company incorporation, raising finance, disputes and claim forms is one of many support services we have in place and will assist members in making decisions about their businesses. It is important that this service is as useful to our members as possible, which is why we are pleased to have Lupton Fawcett Denison Till on board as well as Brodies. The law in some areas is very different in Scotland, so having experts on hand for our members north and south of the border ensures we can cater for everyone. Simon Lockley, a Director at Lupton Fawcett Denison Till, said: -I am delighted Lupton Fawcett Denison Till will be providing legal support and advice to PCA members. The Helpline will give PCA members access to the expertise we have within the firm and will enhance the services the PCA already provides to its members in a very real and practical way. David Whyte, of Brodies LLP, said: -We are delighted to be associated with this new initiative for PCA members in Scotland and look forward to providing legal support through the new helpline. The helpline will be available between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. Members simply call the PCA and arrangements will be made for a solicitor to return the call within four hours where possible. Full contact details together with details of the issue and the names of any other parties involved are required when accessing the helpline and any copies of correspondence or documents which are relevant to the issue need to be on hand to ensure members get the maximum value from the service. Lupton Fawcett Denison Till will also provide pre-litigation debt recovery on a -no recovery no fee basis and can offer discounted legal services to companies which do not already have a solicitor. Technical queries will still be dealt with by the PCA and free basic Health, Safety and Employment Law advice will also continue to be available from PCA partners Stallard Kane.