National legal services brand QualitySolicitors today launched its first ‘legal store’ in a shopping centre in London, offering ‘instant wills while you shop’, and late evening and weekend opening.

QualitySolicitors Freeman Harris, based in the Lewisham Shopping Centre, is one of 54 new franchises opened by QualitySolicitors today. The Gazette revealed the brand’s plans to open the slew of new stores last month.

QualitySolicitors Freeman Harris offers free initial consultations, and a wide range of fixed priced products and services, such as instant wills.

QualitySolicitors chief executive Craig Holt said that the new legal store ‘will be the start of a revolution in legal services’ and ‘demonstrates the real desire we have to transform the way people access legal services. We want to make the whole experience more accessible, relaxed and convenient.’

Holt said that another 50 launches are scheduled for February 2011, which would bring the number of QualitySolicitors firms to 119.

‘The opticians market has transformed beyond recognition in the past 10 years with the entry of accessible, convenient and well-marketed brands such as Specsavers focusing on customer service and predictable costs, and the legal market is going to see a very similar transformation,’ he said. ‘Where QualitySolicitors has the advantage over the likes of the AA [and other brands] is that through our branch network we can offer the face-to-face, local service that customers still want from a legal service. That is crucial.’

QualitySolicitors firms are traditional law firms that have re-branded using the QualitySolicitors name. The first 15 QualitySolicitors branches were launched in May.

QualitySolicitors says it plans to have a branded firm in every UK town and city prior to October 2011, when alternative business structures can be sanctioned.