How much does it cost to see the Legal Information Desk lawyer?

An appointment is free of charge, because Havilah Legal believes strongly in giving people access to expert advice.

Are there any issues the legal information desk cannot address?

Our Legal Information Desk lawyer can generally give a client some guidance and information about most matters. He listens to your questions and gives you advice and direction limited within the confines of a 20-minute appointment. Complex issues obviously require much more time and attention, yet our Legal Information Desk lawyer can give you advice as to how to approach the issues and how to get started.

Why do you need to do a conflict check?

Because we care about you and the issues you have, we do not want to be speaking to other parties. The Legal Information Desk service is a popular one but, as lawyers, we are obliged to ensure we have no conflict by giving advice to people involved in the same matter.

Can the Legal Information Desk lawyer write a letter on my behalf?

No. The Legal Information Desk lawyer does not do ongoing file work — so writing a letter on your behalf can cause problems if the other party writes back. The best option is to give you the points you need to make so you can write your own letter and hopefully resolve the problem yourself. You can always seek further advice with the Legal Information Desk once you get a response.

What should I bring to my appointment?

It is worth bringing to the appointment anything relevant to the issue or dispute but particularly any;

• Court documents;
• Letters to and from the other party; and
• Solicitors’ letters.

The better the information you provide, the more detail we can give you about your legal issue.

What happens if I have to cancel my appointment?

You can re-schedule a later time that will suit you.

If I don’t show, will I be charged?

You pay for the Legal Information Desk appointment in advance online. If you need to request a refund because you are unable to make the appointment, you can do this by contacting us directly. There will be an online payment fee deducted to cover the cost of refund.

I have two problems, do I need two appointments?

Yes, if you think each problem is likely to need a full 20-minute session to give you the advice you seek. But if you make one appointment, you can always make a later appointment if you find that you need to as our Legal Information Desk lawyer can always determine what help you need and advise you on the best steps to take.

What if I need more help?

If you need more help, simply make another appointment. Our Legal Information Desk lawyer often sees repeat clients, which is testament to the usefulness and cost-effectiveness of the service. Often problems are complex and require more than 20 minutes of discussion or more information from you. If you need more help, the lawyer will advise you that this is the case and you can book another appointment.

I don’t know if my problem is a legal issue — what do I do?

Come anyway. As the purpose of the Legal Information Desk lawyer is to give you relevant advice and direction on a wide range of issues and not just purely legal issues, he can usually clear up the uncertainty for you or refer you to alternate professionals.

Can I act on the information you give me in the appointment?

Yes, but you will be cautioned against acting in a circumstance where more investigation of details are necessary to properly determine the best course of action. Remember our advice can only ever be as good as the information you give us.

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