A Midlands firm has come up with an innovative way to market online legal services ahead of the more competitive environment heralded by the Legal Services Act 2007.

Flint Bishop has set up what it calls an ‘affiliate partnership’ distribution channel, whereby it targets organisations with at least 5,000 employees or members, and works with them to market the firm’s services to their members or employees.

The scheme allows member organisations to provide discounted legal services via their own branded website. In addition, they can receive a referral fee for each matter the website generates, or they can pass the fee on to the individual as a discount.

Flint Bishop creates a website for the partner to offer their ‘at a distance’ online services, enabling clients to use their will writing, conveyancing or debt recovery services from anywhere in England and Wales without visiting a solicitor.

The firm has more than 30 affiliate partners, with charity Oxfam the latest to get involved. Flint Bishop said the scheme gives it access to an audience of five million potential clients.

The 21-partner law firm is based in Derby and Ashbourne, with 90 fee-earners and a turnover of £10.5m.

Managing partner Ken Dixon said the firm had chosen the affiliate approach rather than joining one of the growing number of law firm alliances in order to ‘maintain control over our brand’.