Free & Discounted Legal Services for our Members

The Scottish Artists Union is working with Thompsons Solicitors Scotland to provide further benefits to our members. Below is a link to a short survey (5-10 mins), which will help us identify the most important services for you and your household, and provide the necessary information and support too. The survey will be open until midnight Monday 18th February.

The findings from the survey will help us shape the offer of these benefits for all our members from April 2019. Thank you for taking the time to complete this short questionnaire.

In partnership with Thompsons Solicitors Scotland, the leading Trade Union law firm in Scotland we will be offering the following services completely Free or at a significant Discount to All members of the Scottish Artists Union.

1. Services that are Free to Members and Free to the Union
   Personal injury claims; Contract disputes; Consumer disputes; Free initial legal advice on any issue.
   
   
2. Services that are provided to Members at a Discounted rate and are Free to the Union
   Discounted at 25% off Thompsons normal rates: Powers of Attorney; Probate/Estate Administration; Road Traffic Offences; Criminal law; Conveyancing; Family disputes etc.
   
   
3. Services provided Free to Members and Paid by the Union
   Employment Tribunal work.
   
   
4. Free wills service

All of the legal services described in the first two sections (Free services and Discounted services) shall be available to members’ spouses, partners, children and other family members who live with the member.

Click here to complete the short survey

The survey will be open until midnight Monday 18th February.

More from Thompsons Solicitors themselves

Thompsons Solicitors Scotland is the leading Trade Union law firm in Scotland. We are unashamedly a Trade Union law practice and know whose side we are on. We accordingly only act for victims of accident, injury, disease, discrimination and mistreatment. We never act for employers or insurers. We employ leading and renowned experts in the fields of personal injury and employment rights.

The Role Of Legal Services To Trade Union Recruitment And Retention

It would be fair to say that the key to recruitment and retention of trade union members is providing a service that is relevant.  Primarily that means in respect of industrial and political relevance.  Nevertheless, working with Thompsons Solicitors the vast majority of trade unions recognise the extremely important role that providing a rich and relevant legal service benefit to their members can play in both membership recruitment and retention.

Cancel Your Legal Expense Insurance Immediately

Unless you specifically “opt out” your home contents insurance and your motor insurance will contain legal expense insurance.  These bolt-on policies do not come for free.  They add £20-£30 to each policy that has legal expenses insurance added to it.  It is very common to find that a two-car family will be paying almost £100 for 3 different legal expense insurance policies that all do exactly the same thing. It is worse for trade union members. For a trade union member with the benefit of the trade union legal service, the legal expense insurance is completely unnecessary. 

Trade Union members get all of the benefits that are provided through the legal expenses insurance policies (pursuing compensation claims and employment claims) through their trade union membership. This very important information can really help drive home the importance and tangible benefits of trade union legal services.

Join The Scottish Artists Union And Save Money

When you add in additional Trade Union services such as free wills, discounted conveyancing, free legal advice and discounted family law services, it will be seen that being a member of a trade union can save you and your family hundreds of pounds each year.  The cost of a full year’s trade union membership will often be more than met by all of the savings that legal services provided.

Legal Services Extended To Members' Household

Further, all of the legal services described in the first two sub-headings (free services and discounted services) shall be available to members’ spouses, partners, children and other family members who live with the member.

Unique Opportunity To Build “A Service For The Members By The Members”

Legal services work best as a recruitment and retention tool when they are valued by the members. That relies upon the members knowing about the service and using them. The trade unions with the highest uptake of legal services are the trade unions where the members most often quote legal services as the key reason for joining the union. We have put together a survey sent to all members to allow them to build the service around their needs.

"To our knowledge, this would be the first time this has been done by a trade union and we think it would serve as a very powerful way of highlighting to members and potential members how important they are to the Scottish Artists Union."

Click here to complete the short survey

The survey will be open until midnight Monday 18th February.