The Ultimate Guide to Hiring Solicitors
It is highly likely that you will require legal assistance at some point in your life - whether it’s for a property purchase, writing your will, making a personal injury claim, dealing with a divorce or drafting a business contract. Understanding the law isn’t easy, and when you find yourself in a situation that requires a legal professional, it can feel daunting and overwhelming. This is why it’s important to hire a knowledgeable solicitor who can handle all of the legal complexities - attempting to navigate the process yourself can be far more trouble than it’s worth, and letting someone who knows what they’re doing handle the technical bits also gives you far less to worry about.
This guide provides practical advice on how to source and hire a suitable solicitor for your legal requirements, as well as how to avoid any potential pitfalls along the way.
Understanding Your Legal Needs
The first step is to have a solid understanding of your requirements so that you can thus work out whether you need a solicitor, and if so, what type.
Do I Actually Need a Solicitor?
Although this might seem like an obvious question, there are certain legal matters that can just be dealt with sufficiently by yourself without the need for hiring a solicitor. Depending on the severity of your situation, legal advice may be available online or through local authorities, trade unions or support charities.
However, most law firms are also happy to offer a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your legal matter, during which they will be able to confirm whether they can help, and if so, what they can do for you.
What Type of Solicitor Do I Need?
Although a lot of solicitors are versed in multiple aspects of the law, there are some that specialise in a specific area, such as family law or will writing. Before contacting any solicitors, you should determine what type of solicitor would be best for your claim so that you can narrow down your search for a firm.
In a lot of cases, working out which sector of law is appropriate for your needs will be fairly straightforward. For instance, if you’ve been injured in a car accident, finding a personal injury solicitor that can help you make an accident claim is the best course of action. However, there are a lot of grey areas in law, and you might be unsure as to which area your issue would fall under. If this is something you are struggling with, consider browsing The Law Society’s online directory of practising solicitors in England and Wales. Additionally, below are some of the predominant legal fields that solicitors tend to specialise in, as well as some examples of claims that are made within these fields.
Conveyancing Solicitors
Conveyancing solicitors, or property solicitors, can help you with the buying, selling or re-mortgaging of a property, and will help you to understand the legal requirements and their ramifications. They also deal with lease agreements and property disputes.
Dispute Resolution Solicitors
If you are embroiled in a commercial contract dispute, require debt collection or have a partnership or company dispute, then you could benefit from the expertise of a dispute resolution solicitor.
Divorce & Family Solicitors
A family law attorney can deal with any familial or relationship issues such as divorce, adoption, domestic abuse and child maintenance.
Employment Law Solicitors
Employment law covers most work-related legal issues, such as harassment and discrimination, settlement agreements, recruitment and HR support, grievance issues and poor working conditions.
Personal Injury Solicitors
If you have obtained an injury that wasn’t your fault - such as a car accident, workplace accident or another accident that has been caused by the negligence of a third party - you may be entitled to claim compensation. A personal injury lawyer will work to get you adequate recompense for your injuries.
Power of Attorney Solicitors
If an individual is unable to tend to their financial or personal matters in a responsible manner, they may wish to bestow a power of attorney upon a trusted friend or relative. The person with power of attorney is able to act on behalf of the donor. A power of attorney solicitor can assist you in managing your own affairs or the affairs of a loved one.
Inheritance & Will Writing Solicitors
Although a morbid task, drafting your will is one of the most valuable things you can do for your family and friends. By hiring the services of a professional will writing solicitor, you can rest assured that your wishes will be carried out exactly.
If you are still unsure over what type of solicitor you need, simply contact a local law firm. Any good solicitor will be able to confirm whether or not they are capable of helping you with your legal matter, and if not, point you in the direction of another service if it regards an area of law they don’t cover.
Choosing a Solicitor
Now that you have established the type of solicitor you require, you should be able to narrow down your search for potential law firms that match your requirements. Your next step is to contact these firms and gather any additional information that will help you decide which solicitor to hire.
You should never feel obligated to work with the first solicitor you contact. After all, it is important that you feel confident that the solicitor you do eventually hire will be able to help you succeed with your claim.
Questions to Ask
When contacting a solicitor for the first time, you will want to ask them a series of questions to determine their suitability to handle your claim. This will make it easier for you to obtain the information you need to make an informed decision. Here are some questions that we recommend asking during an initial consultation:
- How many years of experience do you have in this area of law?
- Have you worked on similar cases to mine before?
- How much will your services cost?
- Can you offer a no win, no fee service?
- How will you keep me updated on the progress of my case?
- How long is my case likely to take?
Of course, these are just some basic examples, and you should feel free to incorporate any valid queries that pertain to your case specifically.
Hiring Costs
Money is always going to be a significant factor when hiring a solicitor. The cost of using a solicitor’s services will differ greatly depending on the type of legal assistance you require, the complexity of your claim and the duration of your case. Fees will also vary from firm to firm based on its size, amount of experience and location. Before you go ahead and hire a solicitor, it’s essential that you get a clear understanding of the costs involved. As a rule of thumb, you should get quotes from at least three firms to give you a good idea of what you can be expecting to pay.
Fix & Variable Fees
You should find out whether the solicitor you are intending to hire provides a fixed or variable service. Whether a fixed fee can be offered depends on the severity of your claim. A fixed fee means that you will know the full cost that you will be charged from the outset. If the service is variable, however, you will generally be quoted an hourly rate. The rate will depend on the experience of the solicitor - solicitors in senior positions are likely to charge more, for instance - and costs have the potential to increase due to factors such as the duration of the case and document production.
No Win, No Fee
The phrase ‘no win, no fee’ refers to a conditional fee agreement (CFA), meaning that if your solicitor loses your case, or is unable to complete it, you will not be charged for their services. As they will only receive payment if the claim is successful, solicitors will take the time to understand your claim and determine the chances of success. If your case is successful, the fee you will pay will be deducted from the amount of compensation you are granted. The percentage of money that gets deducted will differ, so you should ensure that you discuss this with prospective solicitors before hiring them.
Looking for experienced solicitors in Torquay?
Having a team of experienced and knowledgeable solicitors on your side is crucial to obtaining the best possible result from any kind of legal case. If you’re based in Torquay, Torbay or South Devon, you can count on Almy & Thomas Solicitors to help you navigate your way through complex legal issues such as divorce cases, conveyancing issues, will writing and employment law issues. Our legal specialists are highly skilled, dedicated and have years of experience with handling cases over a vast range of law fields. Since 1920, we have been the law firm that the people of South Devon have turned to for robust and precise legal advice. For more information about any of our services, please get in touch today.
