Vodafone has made a foray into the U.K. consumer legal market through a partnership with legal tech start-up Sparqa Legal.

The telecoms giant will provide its 500,000 customers with access to customisable legal services, also offering them £50 towards the Sparqa Legal platform's services.

The move could be significant for the U.K.'s legal industry should other large organisations also look to provide access to legal advice. And while the service currently caters for relatively simple, high volume work, such offerings could look to win more complex work in the future.

Currently, the Sparqa Legal platform includes employment contracts, trademark applications, data protection and privacy policies, along with furlough letter templates and coronavirus risk assessments.

According to an announcement by the firms, the services are geared towards the needs of start-ups and SME businesses, particularly those that deal legal compliance demands on modest budgets. 

The partnership marks Vodafone's first collaboration with a legal platform. According to the firm, the move comes as part of a broader commitment to providing access to digital solutions for its customers.

Sparqa Legal itself was founded in 2016 by Andrew Thornton, a barrister at Erskine Chambers.

In a statement, Thornton said: "Our mission is to make the law accessible and empower businesses to fulfil many of their legal requirements themselves.

"We believe passionately that armed with the right tools, and resources, smart business managers can produce many of the simple legal documents they require. They can also find out about their rights, obligations and the best course to take."

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