Government spending cuts have triggered a sharp rise in employment law queries from consumers in the last three months, according to statistics from law firm network Contact Law seen by the Gazette.

Employment-related calls accounted for one-fifth of the 28,000 calls received by the service in the three months to 30 September, up 9% on the previous quarter.

Family-related queries saw similar growth, up 12% on the previous quarter, and also accounting for one-fifth of calls.

The law firm referral service, which operates a call centre for consumers, also reported a 12% increase in immigration work and an 11% rise in landlord and tenant queries. Commercial-related inquires fell by 3%.

Dan Watkins, director of Contact Law’s find-a-solicitor service, said: ‘What was evident [in the employment queries] was the split between public and private sector enquiries. Our advisers fielded a lot more calls from public sector workers seeking legal advice in the last few months, and we fully expect this number to continue to rise following the government’s spending review and the prospect of heavy public sector job cuts across the board.’

He added: ‘Family-related enquires, and specifically divorce-related enquiries, were also up significantly now that the economy is on a more stable footing.

‘The coalition government’s decision to impose an immigration cap has [also] seen our advisers taking a lot more calls from people who need advice on immigration-related matters, such as extended visa applications and appeals to the First-tier Tribunal.’