Employing the services of a solicitor might feel quite remote and unnecessary in your everyday life. Yet hiring a solicitor to represent your legal interests is actually more common than you might think. There are many reasons you could need a solicitor, most of which do not actually involve being represented in court.
A solicitor in the UK acts as your legal representative for a multitude of situations. Most commonly, solicitors in the UK are employed to help resolve personal injury claims, handle divorces, and manage the legal paperwork and conveyancing when buying a property, making the role an invaluable part of the UK property market.
Most of us will need the services of a solicitor at some point in our life, but finding the right one for your specific needs can be a little confusing. To help, here are 5 steps for finding the right solicitor for you.
START WITH SPECIALISTS
Ideally, you want to find a solicitor who specialises in the particular aspect of law you need. Perhaps you have suffered a personal injury as a result of a road accident or an accident at work? Then you’ll need a personal injury lawyer. Alternatively, you might require the services of a solicitor specialising in employment law because of an unfair dismissal claim or a discrimination claim.
Because minute aspects of law can be hugely complex, with the results of a case often hinging on the precise wording of a contract or the exact detail of a clause, selecting a specialist will stand you in the best possible position.
As the professional employment solicitors in Canterbury Doswell Law tell us, such an expert will be able to negotiate technical aspects and confusing terminology, whether that’s:
- Drafting settlement agreements and COT3 agreements
- Preparation of staff handbooks, employment contracts and consultancy agreements
- Preparation of Commission and Bonus schemes
- TUPE advice including duty to inform/consult on the TUPE transfer
As such, they may well have had previous experience in a similar case.
TRY FURTHER AFIELD
It may be convenient to employ a local solicitor whose office you can ‘pop in’ to, drop off paperwork and take advantage of home visits. Indeed, in certain situations, it’s much easier to have face-to-face meetings with a person, enabling both parties to get their point across with precision.
That said, as the past year has taught us, much legal work can actually be done remotely. This means that you can choose from a larger pool of people and have access to a wider range of prices and expertise.
Lots of property related services are easily done online and can be found at potentially more affordable rates. On the flip side, a team of local conveyancing solicitors are sure to have worked with local authorities, nearby colleagues and competitors, estate agents, lenders, and other professionals in the course of working in the industry for many years.
For something personal, such as a divorce lawyer or one who can facilitate the drafting of a will, it may be nicer to be able to form a relationship with your solicitor. Weigh up the pros and cons of working with a local solicitor against one further afield as one of your first decisions in your search.
GETTING HELP FOR FREE
If you can’t afford a solicitor, then you may well qualify for legal aid. Check the government’s official Civil Legal Advice page, or check if you can get legal aid here.
There are many law centres that offer free legal advice and cover an array of areas, from employment rights to welfare and disability rights.
Alternatively, there are other routes to check if you qualify. The Guardian suggests that “If you qualify for legal aid, you must make sure that a firm is prepared to take on legal aid work. If you don’t know whether or not you qualify, you can also contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau.
That said, and as you’ve probably heard on daytime TV adverts, there are some claims which are free should you fail to win your case. Indeed, when you make a personal injury claim you will use no win no fee solicitors to help attain a settlement.
RECOMMENDATIONS, ONLINE REVIEWS & REASSURANCE
There is a certain reassurance that comes from dealing with a solicitor who has already helped people in a situation similar to your own. As such, it’s important to listen carefully to people’s recommendations and read online reviews to understand the real-life experiences of other clients.
Negotiating online reviews requires some scrupulousness, however. Be wary of overly fawning reviews that go into loads of detail, enthusing adjectives and exaggeration dripping over every syllable. There could well be a paid reviewer behind it, helping to boost business.
It’s equally important to approach scathing reviews with a level of suspicion, as they could be written by a competitor with an ulterior motive in mind. If the review is purely negative or positive with absolutely no caveats, then alarm bells should sound. Indeed a review history with just unwavering positivity or pure bile could indicate a troll account.
DON’T SUFFER IN SILENCE
Should you have issues with a solicitor, or you feel their charges were excessive or aspects of your billing aren’t correct, then rest assured, there are channels to remedy this.
The Guardian highlights that “If you do feel you have been unfairly charged, or if you are unhappy with any other aspect of your solicitor’s service, don’t suffer in silence. Express your concerns to your solicitor, and if that doesn’t work, use the firm’s internal complaints policy. If you are still not satisfied, contact the industry’s regulatory body, the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors (0845 608 6565, or through the Law Society’s website).”