A SOLICITOR in Ellesmere Port is offering a groundbreaking online service which looks likely to revolutionise the way people pay for basic legal advice.

Expert Answers draws on the knowledge of barristers and lawyers across the country who offer basic legal advice for a price chosen by the online client.

Ellesmere Port-based James Mather, a practicing solicitor and director of Expert Answers, said it would provide a vital service to people who might otherwise struggle to pay for legal advice.

He said: “There is a perception that high street solicitors are expensive and can leave you confused with legal jargon.

“We have many people who are so surprised with how pleased they are with the service that they come back to us and want to pay more.”

Users of expert-answers.co.uk can ask a question and be given a basic answer for free. For a more detailed response, they are asked to pay a fee of their choice.

One man paid £20 to ask a question about whether he was entitled to claim back a £1,000 holding deposit from his estate agent after his house sale fell through.

The agent told him the money wasn’t refundable and he had all but given up trying to get his money back when he came upon the Expert Answers website. He asked the question and was told how to deal with the matter for just £20.

When he recovered the full £1,000 he went back to Expert Answers and offered to pay them more, something which many satisfied users have offered – and which has seen them consider a ‘Bonus Button’ on their website for satisfied customers.

James added: “At the moment we are trying to show people that you can get legal advice from the internet that can be trusted.

“It is new to people, but who would have thought years ago that you would be able to take part in an online auction and trust the people who are selling the items to you, or indeed, order groceries from your PC?”

For more information, visit www.expert-answers.co.uk.