Fast-expanding law firm franchise QualitySolicitors has agreed a deal with WHSmith to offer legal services via hundreds of the newsagent's national branches.

The move, which has been hailed as a ground-breaking initiative for the retail legal market, will see QualitySolicitors place 'legal access points' in 150 WHSmith stores from this summer ahead of a wider rollout targeted at 500 locations.

The access points will be staffed by local QualitySolicitors firms. Staff will be able to use iPad applications to book appointments, provide conveyancing quotes, sell will packages and give advisory sessions for a fixed fee. QualitySolicitors firms are also set to implement Saturday opening and a new loyalty card scheme backing the venture.

QualitySolicitors chief executive Craig Holt said he expects that the partnership with the 1,000-branch newsagent would rapidly transform the legal network into a household name.

He commented: "This move represents the future of legal services. It is a game-changer, providing both the key elements required for market dominance – accessibility and visibility. It provides everything the Legal Services Act was hoped to provide without the perceived negatives – accessible, consumer-friendly legal services but with the actual legal work being done by expert, leading local law firms and not unqualified staff in a remote call centre."

WHSmith commercial development director Ian Sanders said: "We're delighted to be able to offer our customers easy access to legal services through QualitySolicitors and look forward to a long and successful partnership."

The news comes as retailers will be able to set up their own legal arms when the Legal Services Act comes into force in October this year allowing Alternative Business Structures (ABS). The Co-operative has already confirmed that it is aiming to be in the first round of ABSs and other retailers are expected to follow. However, the WHSmith initiative is not an ABS as QualitySolicitors is providing the advice to clients rather than the newsagent itself.

The FTSE 250-listed retailer, which can trace its roots back more than 200 years, is one of the best-known names on the UK high street, generating group revenues of £1.31bn in its most recent financial year.

The WHSmith deal is the latest ambitious move from the much-touted legal network, which sees law firms sign up and pool resources for combined marketing to create a national brand. QualitySolicitors, which is intent on expanding its network nationally to achieve wide geographic coverage, last October said that it expected to have well over 100 member firms in its network by the first half of 2011.

For more analysis, see Feel the quality: will WHSmith tie-up propel QualitySolicitors to household name status?

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