The Value of Legal Advice Lines for Accountants

You’ve spent years training to become an expert in your field – nobody expects you to be an expert in fields outside of accountancy.

That’s why so many accountancy practices choose to outsource certain elements of their business, such as marketing, IT support – and legal advice.

It can be expensive to retain a lawyer, but there is another option: legal advice lines for accountants. These legal services for accountants offer somewhere to turn when a need for advice, support or clarification arises: situations like dealing with unfamiliar legislation, employment issues, data protection or corporate services.

Types of Legal Advice Available

Legal advice helplines for accountants offer telephone access to fully qualified legal professionals who are well-versed in the specific legal issues that accountants may encounter. Generally, an accountant or their practice will pay a subscription fee to access a helpline whenever advice or support is needed, giving them access to legal consultations and guidance.

These legal services for accountants cover various areas of law. They can assist with private company, partnership and employment law – both for you and your clients. They can offer support when it comes to insolvency law and how to proceed with a client’s accounts should this be a concern.

A legal advice helpline for accountants can also assist with family & matrimonial law, as well as executorship & trusts law to protect clients’ interests down the line. They can also advise on land law, financial services law, contract law and plenty more.

This means that whatever your legal advice needs – be it a requirement for a better understanding of the legal side of a project before you continue or a client taking legal advice against your practice – you have all the support you need, just a phone call away.

Benefits of Having Access to Legal Advice Lines

While hiring a lawyer will certainly provide you with expert advice, it can also be expensive – especially if your legal queries are frequent. Generally, queries raised by accountants are not complex: a standard minimum fee of £75 per 15 minutes can result in significant costs.

Using a legal advice helpline could well save you money, as well as giving you immediate access to professional legal advice rather than having to wait for an appointment.

Legal advice lines for accountants can assist with compliance and risk management, allowing you to double-check areas you may not be familiar with (and areas that it’s vital to get right!) before proceeding.

Telephone legal services for accountants offer you something incredibly important: peace of mind and professional security. Legal support that is easy and instant to access means you can double-check the legal aspects of your work – relating to both clients and your own practice – that you are unsure about to be certain that things are done by the book. Knowing that this support is there offers professional security – and demonstrates to clients that you have access to the right expertise to provide them with the level of service they deserve.

Why Join ICPA for Legal Advice

Here at the ICPA, our legal advice line sits alongside our employment and health & safety line, as well as our tax & VAT helpline. These services are staffed by some of the most experienced people in the industry, and we strive to answer the majority of calls first time. Where this is not possible, callbacks are generally returned within two hours, giving you speedy answers to your legal questions.

Our sister company Quest – one of the UK’s best-known specialist advocacy services providers – also provides our members with further employment, health & safety and legal support.

The ICPA legal support is just one of the numerous benefits that our members enjoy. From Tolley’s Tax Library access to a wealth of other resources and networking events, from insurance coverage to discounts on a variety of products and services, our aim is to help accountants to grow their practices with ease.

“If I want some advice, it’s nice to know I’m part of a network that’s able to help”, says ICPA member, Lucinda O’Reilly. Find out more about our advice-related benefits here.

From company structures to client complaints, there are many reasons why an accountant may need to use dedicated legal services for accountants in their day-to-day work. Legal advice helplines provide instant, easy-to-access support for a whole host of legal queries, giving you the peace of mind of knowing that a qualified and experienced professional is just a phone call away.

But what if you could access this level of support – as well as a whole host of other benefits designed by accountants, for accountants – for a single monthly fee? The good news is: you can. Join the ICPA for all the support, advice, tools and resources you need to move you and your accountancy firm forward – including expert ICPA legal support at the other end of the phone.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why do accountants need access to legal advice lines?

Legal advice helplines give accountants instant, easy access to experienced lawyers who are well-versed in the types of legal queries that accountants may have. Whether you’re looking for a sense check or advice and support on how to proceed in a specific situation, they provide the answers – and generally at a far lower cost than hiring a lawyer on a retainer.

What types of legal issues can be addressed through a legal advice line?

Legal advice lines offer support with all manner of legal issues, including contract and employment law, family law, company law, financial services law, executorship & trusts law, partnership law, employment law and more – helping both your own practice and your client work.

Are there any costs associated with ICPA’s legal advice services?

Access to the ICPA legal advice service is included within your monthly membership fee. If further support and advice is needed after using our advice line, we can also offer legal consultancy services at very competitive rates.