Health  & Welfare

 Dial-a-Law

What is Dial-a-Law?

Dial-a-Law is a 24-hour information and Referral Service and it is available 7 days a week. Its aim is to provide you with information about some of the situations which arise in life where the services of a solicitor may be helpful, or indeed necessary. Dial-a-Law is a library of around 40 pre-recorded messages on specific aspects of the law as they apply in Scotland. The topics span 8 main areas of the law – Family Law, Criminal Law, Consumer Law, Employment Law, Wills & Executries, Mental disabilities and Insolvency. In addition, you can also listen to a tape, which will assist you in choosing a solicitor and preparing for a first meeting. A full list of the topics currently available is listed opposite. These may change from time to time as the service is regularly updated.
 

Topics currently available are:

Family Law

- Adoption
- Children’s Hearings
- Custody & Access, Residence & contact
- Divorce
- Interdicts & Injunctions
- Mediation
- Paternity
- Separation

Criminal Law

- Assault
- Bail
- Criminal Injuries Compensation
- Misuse of Drugs
- Legal Aid
- Road Traffic Offences

Property Law

- First Time Buyer
- Selling a House or Flat
- Leasing a House or Flat – Landlord
- Leasing a House or Flat – Tenant
- Arranging a Mortgage
- Problems with your Mortgage
- Leasing a Commercial Property – Tenant

Consumer Law

- Motor Vehicle Accidents
- Small Claims
- Faulty Goods
- Slander, Libel & Defamation

Employment Law

- Accidents at Work – Health & Safety
- Terms & Conditions of Employment
- Discrimination at Work
- Unfair Dismissal

Wills & Executries

- Making a Will
- Winding up an Estate
- Powers of Attorney

Mental Disabilities

- Mental Health
- Incapacity

Insolvency

- Debts
- Personal Insolvency
- Business Insolvency

- Choosing a solicitor and preparing for the first meeting

Where do I find Dial-a-Law?
Dial-a-Law is accessed simply by telephoning 0870 545 5554
When you call, you will be clearly guided through a series of choices until you find the topic which interests you.
You will then hear a tape about that particular aspect of law read in an easy-to-understand manner. The 24-hour service will enable you to access information at a time which suits you and it gives you the facility to do this anonymously if this is what you wish. You will then be able to decide, in your own time, if you need to speak to a solicitor and you will be able to take the time you need to prepare for a first meeting.

What if I don’t have a solicitor and think I need one?

If you haven’t already chosen a solicitor to act for you, Dial-a-Law gives you information about how to do so and about how to prepare for an initial meeting. It also provides a referral service which can give you the names of appropriate solicitors in your locality.

What will the service cost?

There is no charge for the Dial-a-Law service. The only cost is the price of a national telephone call. Details of the service can also be found in the Yellow Pages in the section headed Solicitors.

So, if you have a problem and are unsure where you stand legally, why not call Dial-a-Law and clear up your confusion at the touch of a button.

The Law Society of Scotland

The law Society of Scotland is the body which regulated the solicitors’ profession in Scotland. All practising solicitors in Scotland must be members and take out a Practising Certificate.
. Quality of work and consumer protection are of paramount importance to the Society. If you wish to know more about the Law Society of Scotland, please contact us.

The Law Society of Scotland
26 Drumsheugh Gardens
Edinburgh
EH3 7YR

Tel 0131 226 7411
Fax 0131 226 7411
Email lawscot@lawscot.org.uk
Website: http://www.lawscot.org.uk