Pictured above: Solicitor Manjit Kagla leads Challinors' new specialised service for the Asian community

Midlands law firm Challinors has launched a new specialised service for the Asian community, led by Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi speaking solicitors operating in its Wolverhampton, West Bromwich, Halesowen and Birmingham offices.

Triggered by the firm's already extensive work with the local Asian community, the new department serves to demonstrate its understanding and support of the region's Asian cultural heritage and customs, and incorporates a dedicated Asian speaking helpline. Challinors' solicitor Manjit Kagla, who leads the department, explains:

"The new service will provide relevant, sensitive and high quality expertise to those in the West Midlands' Asian community.

"For those who in particular have communication difficulties, our team will ensure a sense of security by dealing with clients in a simple, clear manner, with regular communication in Punjabi, Urdu or Hindi if required."

The new service will also offer an additional free support to the Asian community: "As part of the initiative, we are to establish regular, voluntary 'surgeries' within local temples, so that the legal guidance and assistance the Asian community needs is easily accessible to them locally and in an environment they are familiar and comfortable with," explains Manjit.

"It is hoped these sessions will encourage community members to call in to meet with our solicitors, for concise appraisals and relevant legal advice.

"Our specialist teams offer expert legal advice in family matters, including Leaves to Remain, visas, wills and trusts. Our business specialists can help with company contracts and structures, debt and insolvency matters, whilst issues of ownership and title matters on property, or associated family contribution disputes can be explored by our expert property team."

Challinors also has teams of lawyers who can help with financial matters such as borrowing, lending or investment options.  Additionally, the firm's dedicated clinical negligence team, which is ranked number 1 in the West Midlands in Clinical Negligence by the legal professions' respected directory Chambers & Partners, can provide support with claims arising from personal injury or clinical negligence.

The firm also has a specialist 20-strong crime and fraud team which operates across the Black Country and is the only one of its kind in the area. The team, which has the highest rankings for its work and expertise in both of the legal professions' directories Chambers & Partners and Legal 500, is headed by Partner Ghulam Sohail, based in West Bromwich.

To discuss holding voluntary surgeries within a temple or the provision of legal services to the local Asian community, contact Manjit Kagla between 9.30am and 2.30pm, Monday to Friday, on tel: 01902 390449, or email: manjit.kagla@challinors.co.uk. Or call Challinors' dedicated Asian speaking helpline 0844 8113696.

Challinors has offices in Birmingham, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton, Halesowen and Nottingham. The firm has 22 partners and over 100 fee earners, and is ranked as one of the top legal firms in the West Midlands, being Number 1 in the Chambers UK Directory in a number of categories, including Fraud, Business Defence and Clinical Negligence.