How To Choose The Right Solicitor -- Pinstripe.com

May 25, 2010 - PRLog -- Choosing the right solicitor involves more than flicking through a phone book or conducting an Internet search. If you want to win your case, you need to do some prior research to ensure that you are selecting the best solicitor for your situation. Here are five things to look at when looking for a solicitor in the UK.

1. Niches

Sometimes, law firms will choose to specialise in a specific niche such as media law, criminal law or medical negligence. This type of law firm tends to be a small one so that it can dedicate its resources to offering the most relevant advice and support to clients. When choosing a solicitor, look for niche law firms that specialise in the niche that your problem falls under. For example, if you are seeking legal representation for a divorce, look for a law firm that specialises in family law (preferably divorce cases). Many niche law firms are based in and around London.

2. Specialisms

Even within a niche, law firms will often specialise in specific areas. Although there are plenty of law firms who offer representation and advice in general legal issues, many choose to specialise in one specific field of law. This can include criminal law, family law and property law. Choosing a solicitor who specialises in one of the areas in which you require legal advice may sound obvious, but many people still choose to be represented by law firms who do not have the right expertise for the case. This can potentially have a significant effect on the outcome of your case, as the solicitor that you choose may not have enough knowledge in a particular niche to win the case. This is often the case if you opt for your local high street law firm, as they are likely to focus predominantly on a handful of select cases such as those relating to housing and employment problems.

Solicitors inform the Solicitors' Regulation Association (SRA) of up to six of their chosen specialisms on a yearly basis, although they are not obliged to demonstrate their competency or ability in these areas. You can use the Law Society website to find a solicitor who is accredited by the SRA or the Law Society. These solicitors have demonstrated their legal skills in their specialist areas, and both the SRA and the Law Society are confident that they are specialist legal advisors.

3. Clients

Using recommendations from previous clients can be a good way to choose a solicitor as long as he or she specialises in the right field of law for your case. It is likely that you will know several people who have previously used a solicitor for situations such as buying a house or getting divorced, but these recommendations will not be much good to you if you require a solicitor who specialises in a different area as their expertise may not be wide enough to benefit you sufficiently.

4. Estimates

When looking to hire a solicitor, ask for an estimate of the costs. Not all solicitors will charge the same for their services, but it can be a mistake to opt for the cheapest one. Solicitors will charge what they envisage their services to be worth, so a bargain quote can be indicative of substandard expertise. To get around this, make a point of examining their legal credentials to see whether you really would be getting a great deal. As a general rule of thumb, a solicitor who has enough expertise to meet your legal needs will charge more than one who does not have the same credentials, which often makes it a case of "you get what you pay for" as far as estimates and quotes go.

5. The history of the firm

This is often much overlooked when shopping around for a solicitor, but examining the case history of law firms can prove highly beneficial for determining their credentials. If the law firm has a good track record in handling cases that are similar to yours, you can be relatively confident in their ability to handle yours. However, a less than stellar track record at dealing with similar cases does not bode well regardless of the credentials.

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