Legal advice store opening in Wal-Mart

Legal advice soon will be available inside Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s (NYSE: WMT) 3315 S. Campbell Ave. store.

The Law Store plans an 11:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony tomorrow, followed by a grand opening Saturday located near the front door of the Wal-Mart Supercenter, said Michelle Hucke, the Joplin-based legal operation’s director of marketing and human resources. The company opened its first two stores in May at Wal-Mart locations in Joplin and Neosho.

Edward Hershewe, the owner of Joplin-based The Hershewe Law Firm PC, started The Law Store as a separate business to combat the view of traditional offices with unpredictable prices.

“We’re really taking the intimidation out of it, the worry that you won’t be able to afford it after you have that initial conversation,” Hucke said.

Services offered include wills and estate planning, traffic tickets, family law, small-business law, personal injuries, elder law, real estate services, immigration and bankruptcy. The company offers a free first consultation visit and menu-style pricing from $49 to set up an employer identification number to $1,299 for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing, according to the company’s website.

“Every location is like its own law firm,” Hucke said.

Led by managing attorney and Regional Director Bryan Berry, the Springfield store employs three licensed attorneys and four full- and part-time assistants.

The Law Store plans November openings for two locations inside Wal-Mart stores in Dallas, followed by two Kansas City stores in January and a location in Grand Prairie, Texas, in March. The company currently employs 40 and expects to grow to 50 within a few months.

The company’s target is 25 stores within three years and an ultimate goal of 1,500. No other Springfield stores are planned at this time, Hucke said.