Thirty five years ago local solicitors Thatcher + Hallam started their own free legal surgery, held every Thursday evening at Island House in Midsomer Norton.

Since that time, the firm estimates that more than 13,000 clients have been seen at the surgery, being advised on matters from disputed Wills, injury claims, property disputes and family breakdown.

At the beginning of the lockdown in March this year, like most other organisations, Thatcher + Hallam had to physically close their doors to the surgery although behind the scenes the firm remained very much open for business. Grahame Macaulay is not only a partner at the firm but was also responsible for setting up the Legal Surgery 35 years ago.

'We have one of the oldest continuous running legal surgeries in the whole of the country,' says Grahame. 'We have been serving a vital role in making legal advice available to the whole of the wider community, especially at a time when there have been savage cuts in the provision of legal aid. There was no way that we were going to let the coronavirus bring 35 years of free advice to an end.'

Together with current senior partner William Weller, Grahame and his colleagues then set out to ensure that their free legal surgery would be able to continue, but just in a different form.

'We are now well in to the third month of running our free Virtual Legal Surgery,' explains William. 'It has been a remarkable success. Just because there has been a lockdown, it does not mean that people do not require legal advice. By setting up our innovative new Virtual Legal Surgery, the response has proved to us that the community is more in need of advice and what their legal rights and responsibilities are than has ever been the case.'

For those wanting to seek advice from one of the legal team at Thatcher + Hallam, all they now have to do is to click on the link

here the Thatcher +Hallam site

complete the form and then they will be contacted (via the telephone, Zoom or Skype) by the lawyer best suited to meet the nature of the enquiry.

The firm appreciates that there are of course those in the community who do not have access to the internet. That being the case, the firm can always be contacted on the telephone at 01761 414646.

'We are currently celebrating our 250th year as a law firm,' says William. 'Having survived and thrived this length of time, there was no way that we were going to let a pandemic prevent us from providing this key legal service to the community.'

The firm is currently looking at plans to once more physically see clients at their usual Thursday evening surgery slot.

'We will announce this development when we are ready to do so and when we know that it is safe to do so,' adds William. 'It will be good once more to be able to speak to clients face to face.

In the meantime, our Virtual Legal Surgery service remains very much open and available to all. If you are worried about how a legal issue could affect your family and yourself then please get in touch with our Surgery. We will be delighted to speak to you. Help is very much at hand.'