A NEW era in legal services has been launched in South Devon offering advice on anything from moving house to getting a divorce — all as part of a high street shopping trip.

A new QualitySolicitors Law Shop South Devon has been created from the old Torbay Law Shop which has been run by Hooper & Wollen solicitors since 2001.

By joining the QualitySolicitors national brand, QualitySolicitors Law Shop South Devon will not only give an enhanced service to people but will also mean legal services will be available at a special stand in WH Smith.

The new service was officially launched at the Union Street branch of WH Smith, with local radio station Palm FM hosting the event. This is part of a national launch with more than 100 such points opening in WH Smith nationwide.

The aim is to give people a way of easily understanding the process and standards they should receive from a solicitor. These include free initial consultations, same day response to phone and email inquiries, fixed prices with no hidden costs and direct contact with lawyers.

Hooper & Wollen managing partner Chris Hart said: "The launch went really well and we attracted a great deal of attention from shoppers curious to see what was going on. They were impressed at how easy it will be in future for them to seek legal advice and make appointments to see solicitors."

The store will now have a display stand staffed each day by QualitySolicitors Law Shop South Devon staff who can give basic guidance and arrange appointments.

QualitySolicitors firms are required to commit to providing the highest levels of customer service and its expansion comes ahead of massive changes due to take place in the legal market. These changes, dubbed Tesco Law, will allow banks and retail brands to provide legal services for the first time from October.

For more details, log on to www.qualitysolicitors.com