Legal advice continues, Briitta Kuokkanen starts as legal advisor

The legal advice service has been made possible again through joint funding from the Artists' Association of Finland and its four member associations: Artists' Association MUU, the Association of Finnish Sculptors, the Association of Finnish Printmakers, and The Association of Photographic Artists. Legal advice is intended for members of these four member associations.

Legal advisor Briitta Kuokkanen is currently completing her master's degree in law at the University of Helsinki. She has previously provided advice on social benefits and unemployment security issues.

"I am motivated and enthusiastic about this new position, and I am particularly looking forward to meaningful encounters with members. I hope to be able to help artists in a variety of situations and to deepen my expertise in legal issues concerning artists."

Briitta Kuokkanen works at the Artists' Association of Finland 20% of the time, one day a week, always on Tuesdays.
 

How and in which matters is legal guidance given?

The Artists’ Association of Finland provides legal advice and information on matters related to the legal aspects of working as an artist. The legal advisor assists in matters related to contracts as well as copyright, taxation and social security issues.

Legal advice is intended for members of Artists' Association MUU, the Association of Finnish Sculptors, the Association of Finnish Printmakers, and The Association of Photographic Artists, which are involved in financing the service. Member artists of the Finnish Painters' Union can continue to contact the Finnish Painters' Union for legal advice.

Guidance and advice on matters related to association legislation is available to the community members of member associations.

As a general rule, legal services are not intended for the purposes of addressing disputes between members or member associations. The service focuses on proactive advice and does not include, for example, assisting artists in court. The service also does not apply to legal matters that fall within the scope of private life, such as wills or inheritance matters.

Legal advice may direct the artist to contact the Artists' Association's partner law firms. The services of law firms are at the artist's own expense, and the artist must contact them directly. The Artists' Association is not responsible for agreements or assignments between the artist and the law firm.

Each member of Artists' Association MUU, the Association of Finnish Sculptors, the Association of Finnish Printmakers, and The Association of Photographic Artists is entitled to one consultation during 2025. Legal advice services have been reduced from previous levels due to cultural cuts affecting the association.

Instructions for contacting

1. Check if you can find the answer to your question on the Making a living as a visual artist website.

2. If you have a specific question (short consultation): 

You can call the legal advisor during open telephone hour on Tuesdays from 10 to 11 a.m.

The legal advisor's open telephone hour is on Tuesdays from 10 to 11 a.m. at +35840 589 9548. During the telephone hour, you can contact us with specific questions regarding, for example, taxation, copyright, or artists' pension security. The duration of an open telephone hour call is 15 minutes.


3. If you want to have your contract checked, need help responding to a request for clarification from the authorities, or the matter otherwise requires further examination: Book a personal telephone consultation from the appointment calendar. Appointments must be booked in advance via the online appointment calendar. When contacting us, please mention which member union you belong to.

Appointments are available on Tuesdays between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. and last 15 minutes. We ask that you submit any relevant material before your appointment. If the relevant material contains personal data, please send it via secure email using the Turvaposti.fi service. Send a request to open a secure email connection by email to briitta.kuokkanen@artists.fi.

The matter may be resolved immediately during the appointment consultation or may require further investigation. Legal Advice will respond in writing to all appointment consultations within three weeks.

Link to the appointment calendar: Book a telephone consultation


4. Each member of Artists' Association MUU, the Association of Finnish Sculptors, the Association of Finnish Printmakers, and The Association of Photographic Artists is entitled to one consultation during 2025. 

5. The legal advisor does not respond to email inquiries.
 

Partner law firms

Legal advice may direct the artist to contact the Artists' Association's partner law firms. The services of law firms are at the artist's own expense, and the artist must contact them directly. As an artist, you can also contact the offices directly if you already know that the matter is demanding and will take a long time to resolve.

Discounts are available to all members of the AAF member associations (including members of the Finnish Painters' Union). Please remember to mention your membership when contacting the firms.

The Artists' Association is not responsible for agreements or assignments between the artist and the law firm.
 

Dottir 
Dottir provides legal services to communities and artists operating as companies. Members of AAF member associations can receive services at a member price of €270/hour (VAT 0%), which is a 20% discount on the normal hourly rate of €330/hour (VAT 0%). A separate price estimate can be provided for each individual assignment.

The Dottir law firm has extensive experience in the specific characteristics of the arts sector. Dottir's experts' areas of expertise include contract law, dispute resolution, intellectual property rights (including copyright), company and association law, and labor law. Services not included in the scope of services include tax law, family and inheritance law, and criminal law services. Dottir has the right to refuse an individual assignment if necessary, for example due to a conflict of interest.

Contact: Sofia Wang, Associate; sofia.wang@dottirlaw.com / +358 45 230 8389

www.dottirlaw.com
 

Eversheds 

Eversheds provides legal services to the member associations of the Artists' Association of Finland and to the individual members of those associations. Members receive a 15% discount on standard hourly rates.

The membership discount covers, among other things, the following matters: general registration and tax matters related to a member's business and entrepreneurial activities, studio rental matters, transactions involving movable property, including transaction errors, compensation for damages (excluding matters related to official liability), intellectual property matters, and association law matters. The law firm will agree on each assignment directly with the member and charge the agreed fees and expenses directly to the member.

Contact us at taiteilijat@eversheds.fi. Enquiries will be directed to a lawyer with special expertise in the subject area.

www.eversheds.fi


Lehtinen Legal Oy 

Lottaliina Pokkinen, Licentiate of Laws (OTL), runs Lehtinen Legal, which offers services related to contracts and copyright for creative professionals. Assignments are billed according to the time spent on them.

Contact details: lottaliina@lehtinenlegal.fi / www.lehtinenlegal.fi