The Co-operative has begun a two-week trial of its plan to offer legal advice through its network of bank branches.

The limited pilot scheme will see the Co-op offer its members free legal advice in three Bristol-based Britannia branches, with customers able to drop in for advice or book an advance appointment.

The scheme is a joint arrangement between Co-operative Legal Services (CLS) and its sister organisation Co-operative Financial Services (CFS), which will aim to assess how they can offer legal advice at bank branches when the Legal Services Act (LSA) goes live in October this year.

The Co-op has confirmed that it will become one of the first to go head-to-head with high street law firms in offering legal advice to the general public when the LSA comes into force. Under current regulations, the company is only allowed to offer legal advice to its own members.

CLS has been building its legal operations over a five-year period in anticipation of the deregulation of the market, with its legal services arm growing from just three staff at launch in 2006 to around 380.

CLS – a wholly owned subsidiary of The Co-operative Group – already offers legal advice on personal injury claims, will writing, probate and estate administration, as well as conveyancing and employment law, to its members via telephone.

CFS managing director of retail Rod Bulmer said: "This pilot scheme will enable us to assess how legal services can be delivered on the high street. If successful, there is clearly great potential to bring these services under one roof."

There are almost 350 branches of Britannia and The Co-operative Bank across the UK.