Business Profile: Evans Harvey Solicitors

When making any kind of legal claim, choosing your legal representatives is a very important decision, and can make a huge difference; it could mean the difference between a well-handled case and a shambolic ordeal, success and failure – the right compensation and a missed opportunity for justice. What we all look for is trusted and honest legal advice along with extensive knowledge and reputation but without the huge price tag, a firm that puts your needs first with both, personal and business legal issues. Stephen Hall, Director and Solicitor at Evans Harvey Solicitors, spoke with OM Magazine about their recent renovations, the services they provide and future plans for the company.

Evans Harvey has served the Crownhill community for over 30 years. We last visited them in August 2017 when they had recently purchased their current premises ready for a huge renovation. Two years on and they have finally moved back into their brand new state of the art offices based in the heart of Crownhill Village. Since their renovation completed in September, Stephen has focused on expanding with a new office opening on Mutley Plain on the 2nd of March.

Stephen joined the company in December 2008 after a career working as a Solicitor in personal injury around the UK. Since joining, Stephen has worked his way up from partner to Director, taking on the practice as owner in 2010.

Since taking over, Stephen has focused on growing the team to become a stronger foundation for their clients with the legal market. The Evans Harvey team is currently 18 strong with plans to continue to recruit for upcoming positions in their new offices.
As you would expect from a Solicitors firm, Evans Harvey offer a wide range of services to their clients, including property, conveyancing, wills, tax and probate, family and matrimonial law, personal injury, company and commercial, employment, litigation and chancery work.

Evans Harvey listen and understand every client’s needs to ensure they are providing the best level of service. Also all clients are given the opportunity to complete a customer satisfaction form after each case has been closed.

The questionnaires provide the team with valuable feedback to help them improve their services. Additionally for every form returned Evans Harvey donate money to St Luke’s Hospice. Giving back to the community is one of the top traits of the firm.

To this end Stephen is also Chairman of The Crownhill Community Group which was initially set up with charitable intentions at its heart with the assistance of the local business communities, the Church and local Plymouth Councillors. One of the highlights of the work of the group is the Christmas festivities each year and of course the Christmas light up with Santa for the children. Stephen says that prior to the community association being set up there were no Christmas festivities and the event gets bigger every year and is well attended.

Working in a busy Solicitors firm sees the team flying by the seat of their pants, ready for every situation that may arise, often being called to emergency Court proceedings at the drop of a hat.

However despite how busy Evans Harvey are they still make time for the local community, visiting local care and nursing homes on a weekly basis. One thing that sets Evans Harvey above other Solicitor firms in Plymouth is that they offer home visits to clients and members of staff are often heading out of the office to visit elderly clients who cannot attend their offices occasionally taking a box of chocolates and flowers to cheer them up. Stephen says that often once the legal process is sorted our clients will often engage in conversation and have fascinating life stories to tell and makes it much more than simply a job.

Stephen says “we do nursing home visits two or three times a week and we do not charge travel costs or hourly fees for travel. We simply do it. If it is an hour of your time and if you cannot do that then quite frankly you should not be doing it at all.”

Evans Harvey value themselves on the ethos that building a trusting relationship with clients is very important and as such have developed relationships with clients spanning many decades and effectively have become the family Solicitor not just for them but their children and grandchildren etc.

“It sounds pompous, but it really is genuine and we always go the extra mile for people and do everything we can to help”

Catering to every client is extremely important to the team, they hold free drop-in clients on Tuesday mornings 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. with advice on wills, probate and inheritance claims and on Wednesday mornings 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. for family matters. The firm will also be re-instating their Tuesday evening clinic once things have settled down from the move. The office is also open on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. It is good for people that cannot get in during the week.

The expansion to their office has seen some huge improvements. Stephen and the team could not be more pleased to be back in their permanent premises.

Evans Harvey have been situated in their current building for over 35 years but only fully purchased the premises in 2017 with the view to renovate the two houses into one combined set of offices – and they have done exactly that.

Having moved out of their Crownhill Village and into a temporary office on Budshead Road in December 2018, the Evans Harvey team finally moved back into their brand new, refurbished premises on 27th August 2019, after a long 8 months of renovations.

The renovation has transformed the premises into a bright-white, professional office where clients are welcomed to a brand new, beaming reception area providing a calming, quiet space for them to wait.

“Everything’s been upgraded, the computers, telephones, servers, technology, and furniture – we’ve brought everything up to the 21st century”.

After spending 8 months sharing an open plan office, the Evans Harvey team are thrilled to be back in their own space with all legal executives and Solicitors having their own separate office, large enough to accommodate clients; meaning no more sharing.

The refurbishment has allowed for nine extra rooms to be situated within the building, as well as a large conference room seating up to 10 people comfortably, a brand new reception area with Evans Harvey branding and fully fitted disabled toilet facilities. Every detail has been carefully considered with the renovation.

“The new office space is pleasant to walk into and I think it has been very sensitively done in so much that we still want to offer the service to the local community and we certainly don’t want people to think we’re putting our prices up to cover this, we are not.”

The process of expansion has not been easy or quick, with a three- stage plan from buying the premises, building the extension and now the first two stages are complete they can focus on growing the team even further and expanding the firm to new locations across Plymouth.

Expansion is definitely on Stephen’s mind despite having only just returned to their head office. To this end, Stephen has acquired a new practice on Mutley Plain which opens on the 2nd of March. Conveyancing solicitor, Simon Dusting, will be based at the Mutley Plain office full-time after joining the company in December last year.

The new office will operate in the same way as the main Crownhill Office, offering their wide range of services from Conveyancing to Wills & Probate as well as Family matters. Free Clinics will also be run at the clinic, commencing on Monday 16th March on Wednesdays between 10 am and 12 pm for advice on Wills, Probate and Inheritance matters, and Thursdays between 8.30 am and 11 am for Family matters.

There is no doubt that Stephen thrives to push Evans Harvey to be the best Solicitors firm in Plymouth with some huge plans in store for the future. It is clear that his passion for both his work and his clients really are endless with every member of the team delivering first-class service to each and every client. Stephen says “We are looking to expand significantly over the next 5 years”.

Evans Harvey also benefits from free 3 hour car parking in the public car park to the rear of its Crownhill premises.

For more information on Evans Harvey, the services they offer and how they can help you, contact them at their Crownhill Village office using any of the details below.

Call: 01752 785715

Website: www.evansharveylaw.co.uk

37 & 39 Morshead Road, Crownhill, PL6 5AD