Tips for choosing aSolicitor

For most people the need for need legal representation will only occur a few times throughout their lives. But when you do need a solicitor, it is good to know that you can access one quickly and easily on the UK Solicitor Directory.

Once you have found a few likely candidates, you need to consider the following:

• Value for money - of course cost is important but it should not be the only reason for instructing a solicitor. But what you must do is ask for an estimation of costs at the outset and to be advised when these estimations are reached.
• Location – very important as you will almost certainly need to visit your solicitor’s office at some stage of the process and so it may make sense to find a solicitor near to your home or workplace.
• Quality– this is something you can only judge when you visit the office of a solicitor. How you were greeted by the receptionist. Did the solicitor keep you waiting? Who would handle your affairs should your solicitor be ill or take annual leave? All to be considered.
• Approachable – your first consideration is professionalism but you also need to feel that you can get on with your solicitor on a personal level. Smaller firms often offer this special approachability to those that do not need to consult their solicitor about highly specialised areas.
• A Firm for All Reasons – Not every solicitor can deal with every case presented to them. There are solicitors with distinct areas of specialisation who are better placed and qualified to deal with certain matters. This is where a bigger firm scores over a smaller concern as they usually have a broad range of solicitors within the firm.
• Response Levels - it is often vital to have a solicitor who responds quickly and effectively to your requests. Check what their policy is on speed of response. Ask the question: “If you are engaged when I call when would you get back to me?”
• Hold Ups – some solicitors are accused of ‘holding things up'. Ask what the estimated time for completion is on any job you ask your solicitor to carry out. If you don’t like what you hear go elsewhere.

Solicitors are governed by Professional Rules
The Law Society has a series of Practice Rules, other regulations, and codes of practice, published in a "Guide to the Professional Conduct of Solicitors". These cover for example:

• Acting in your interests: The solicitor must always act in their client's interest (the only exception to this duty to act on the client's behalf is when it conflicts with a solicitor's duty to uphold justice as an "Officer of the Supreme Court").
• Independence: A solicitor must not act if your interests as a client might conflict with the interests of another client, or with other interests.
• Confidentiality: Client details must be kept confidential (not even the client's identity may be disclosed without the client's consent)
• Clients' money must be kept in a separate account.
• Financial accountability: solicitors must normally tell clients about interest due on money held for them by the solicitor, commission paid, etc.
• There is an obligation to honour undertakings even if not legally enforceable.
• Solicitors may not set up their own practice, or supervise an office, until they have been qualified for three years. Professional rules prevent solicitors joining partnerships with non-lawyers, or being employed by non-solicitors to provide legal services to the public (except in limited circumstances - for example, in law centres).
• Advertising: A Publicity Code allows solicitors to advertise in any way they wish but prohibits misleading publicity.
• An Introduction and Referrals Code emphasises that solicitors must take steps to reinforce their independence if in receipt of regular referrals. The code prohibits certain contracts which might prejudice a solicitor's independence.