NEWS

Unable to pay for legal advice about a commercial matter?

As well as advising individuals on social welfare issues, East Greenwich Legal Advice Clinic offers a virtual legal advice clinic for people needing advice regarding commercial law matters. This could be owners of small businesses and social enterprises, sole traders or individuals involved in a dispute with a larger company, subject to our eligibility criteria below.

Our commercial advisers can provide a free 30-minute appointment, via telephone or online, to give free preliminary legal advice (outside of litigation) on commercial issues arising in relation to matters such as:

  • the terms of legal documentation such as partnership or shareholders’ agreements, and commercial contracts;
  • data protection;
  • privacy;
  • rights of shareholders;
  • directors’ duties, termination or disqualification; and
  • intellectual property, including copyright.

Our legal advisers are all qualified lawyers, working on a part-time and voluntary basis. Our criteria for providing advice in this area of law are:

  • the client (including any business or business owner) must be based in South East London (SE postcodes only);
  • if the client owns a business, it must be a small business or social enterprise, or they must be a sole trader;
  • the issue has a value of less than £100,000; and
  • the capacity of our volunteer advisers.

Our advisers are only able to offer initial advice and are not able to undertake casework or represent clients in court.

If we are unable to assist you, we will try to signpost you to alternative sources of help where possible. Email enquiries to