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Instructing A Solicitor: The Initial Questions To Ask

Posted: February 15th, 2010 | Category: Legal

With promises of the earth, it can be hard to determine which solicitor is right for you. Guidance for you is discussed throughout the article.

Finding a solicitor to take on your case can be a very daunting task. Not to mention trying to ensure that you are instructing exactly the right firm of solicitors for the job. A clear criteria and expectations of your relationship with your solicitor, at times like this usually a good thing to have. Start by approaching local solicitors in your area.

Obviously and rather annoyingly, when you first set out to find a solicitor you need to find the right one for your case you are likely to find that all firms will be tending to promise you the same levels of service. You might in most cases, find it very difficult to place a pin between most firms. Advertising by most firms of solicitors, is done in a really uncanny way that makes them seem like their service is better than any others. The initial communiction with most solicitors will be aimed at securing your business with them, and they are likely to make you feel like they are only dealing with your case. Getting a good service and a result is the main aim, but be cautious at this point, making sure that you have asked all the questions you need to ensure the best service available. Remember to keep an open mind throughout the process.

Ignore the parts where they promise you the earth, most firms of solicitors will not adhere to such promises! Establish at the beginning whether your case is going to be delegated to someone else; as it’s very often the case where a more junior member of the firm, or someone with no formal qualifications at all deals with it. It will be up to you to ascertain how truthful you feel the response is here, if you feel that they are squirming rather uncomfortably, you have your answer.

Most importantly, you need to ask them how they are going to deal with your case and ask them to set out, very clearly, the merits of your case in their own opinion. The likliness of winning your case is question that must be asked, so make sure you get them to stipulate this for you. If you are applying for legal aid for your case, the firm of solicitors will be obliged to assess your chances of success anyway, before they go ahead and take your case on.

The progress of your case is something that will be pretty important to you, so get them to stipulate what actions are necessary. Listen very intentively to this response as your decision on whether or not you instruct this firm is crucial here.

Progress reports are important, so check with the solicitor on how they plan to do this and then of course, make them stick to what they have agreed. At this point, state to them that before going ahead you need to consider this. This is the area where most people lose faith with their firm of solicitors, as they can be the worst, most ignorant, communicators in the World.

Knowing whether you have chose the right solicitors is always tricky, but the impartial online reviews will give you some idea of what the firm are like. Solicitor.info is one such uk solicitor directory, where you will find accurate and up-to-date information on what previous clients have thought about different solicitors. Armed with this information as well, you will be in a much stronger position to ensure that you select exactly the right solicitor for your case.