Denise Nurse - How to find a good solicitor
Legal cases often involve some of life’s most important decisions, so Denise Nurse shares her tips for choosing the right solicitor
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WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR?
"Have you handled this type of case before?"
DENISE SAYS:
"You should be comfortable and at ease with whoever you choose to handle your case. If you speak to them on the phone, do they genuinely sound interested in your case, or are they flippant in their approach?
A solicitor who is very transparent is also a good sign.
Ask them about their experience when it comes to your case. Have they ever handled this type before?" Not all solicitors handle every area of law.
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"Will you charge me extra to print documents?"
DENISE SAYS:
"Pricing is another tell-tale sign of a good firm. Clear and transparent pricing structures are key, with no hidden costs. You should aim for fixed pricing rather than hourly fees to help you manage costs, and they should be upfront about any additional costs.
A good question to test them with is, 'Will you charge me for court filings or the printing of documents relating to my case?' They might also give you half an hour of their time for free before you properly engage with them. Shop around and get a few different quotes before you commit."
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"Will you be handling my case or will it be someone else?"
DENISE SAYS:
"Another useful question to ask is whether the person you're speaking to at the beginning will be your solicitor or whether your file will be handled by someone else. Some firms use junior members of staff to do the actual work, which needs checking with a senior colleague. Some issues can get complex and be very emotional. The junior members of the team are normally still great, but as I said, it is always worth being aware of who will be carrying out the work and whether you can still speak to the original lawyer about your case.
Finally, good communication is crucial. You want a solicitor who talks to you in plain English, returns phone calls and replies to emails promptly."
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HOW CAN YOU FIND A GOOD SOLICITOR?
DENISE SAYS:
"The most effective way to find a good solicitor is through recommendations. If someone has used a particular solicitor's services before and they're recommending them to you, then they've obviously had a good experience.
If you don't have someone who can recommend a solicitor, then another way to find one is by using online search tools. I'd recommend a two-step approach to this. One tool is to find solicitors that match your requirements, and another one is to check that they've done a good job in the past and that people would recommend them. So, the first place I'd look at is a reputable search facility like the Law Society's 'Find A Solicitor' search tool.
This allows you to select the type of law you need help with and your postcode, and it will list solicitors near you that match along with their accreditations. All of the companies listed there are registered with the industry regulator, the information on the search results is factual and it won't try and sell one particular firm over the other. It will also show you a solicitor's conduct record.
Once you've got a shortlist of a few firms that you're interested in, you can start to have a look at what other people have said about them in the past. The Solicitors Regulation Authority have a voluntary code of conduct for review or comparison websites and those that are signed up have to be independent, i.e. not owned or controlled by a legal firm. You can use them with a degree of confidence to read reviews from other people about the solicitors you've shortlisted to help you."
- You can find the Law Society's 'Find a Solicitor' search tool
- You can view a list of review and comparison sites that have signed up to the Solicitor's Regulation Authority's code of conduct
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HOW CAN PEOPLE MAKE A COMPLAINT ABOUT A LEGAL PROVIDER IF THEY'VE HAD BAD SERVICE?
DENISE SAYS:
"You can make a complaint about a solicitor if you're not satisfied with a), how your solicitor handled your case e.g. conduct/timing or b), the cost for their services. Your starting point should always be complaining to the law firm directly.
When you make a complaint, you should:
- Complain as soon as possible
- Be clear on what the issue is and how you'd like it to be resolved
- Give them up to eight weeks to resolve your complaint
The Legal Ombudsman has a great template letter available
If you've done all of the above and you're still not satisfied that your complaint has been resolved, then you can take it to the Legal Ombudsman in England and Wales, the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission or the Law Society of Northern Ireland. As a bare minimum, to take your complaint this far, you need to show evidence of your complaint to the solicitor and their response to you (where applicable). You also need to wait a certain amount of time for the firm to handle your complaint, depending on which nation of the UK you're in. For England and Wales it's 8 weeks, or for Scotland and Northern Ireland it's 28 days."
- Download the Legal Ombudsman's template letter
- [England & Wales] - Make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman
- [Scotland] - Make a complaint to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission
- [Northern Ireland] - Make a complaint to the Law Society of Northern Ireland
