Fair Legal Advice

posted by on Sep 28

Solicitors are a legal institution that exists in the UK, Ireland, Canada, some provinces of Australia and other countries that were once British colonies.  Online solicitors are providing the services in all over the world. They, professionally qualified in law, specialize in legal documentation work but do not appear in the courts to argue cases ( the exceptions are Canada and Australia where they do both).  Firms as well as individuals in business having to enter into contracts need specialist advice on legally sound documentation —which it is the business of solicitors to supply. Since the work is entirely document-based it is not surprising that the services are now offered online by a large number of firms , some quoting bare-bones rates.

How do you make sure that the solicitor you pick on will give you value for money? The first step may be to look up the data base of the UK Law Society (www.lawsociety.org.uk) to check if the solicitor is registered with it. Stick to those registered unless you have some compelling reason. The Law Society also provides information on solicitors registered with it and practicing in the location or/area of your interest, those recognized for particular proficiency in  specific fields of law ,  on the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Solicitors’ Code of Conduct. It also has a helpline.

Registration with Law Society will not guarantee quality nor cost-savings. You have still to check:

• Will the firm send you a client care letter spelling out all its fees and terms? It must. Read its fine print as carefully as you can. Ask questions before you sign, committing yourself..
• Check if , besides the  basic fee, every disbursement, taxes  have been itemized.
• Will the firm charge you on hourly basis or a fixed fee or based on a scale linked to value of the transaction? The third is most common but the first is a no-no for it can be open-ended. You are lucky if you get a firm that will work on a fixed fee.
• Will it waive its fees, other than reimbursements of any payment made on your behalf if the transaction is cancelled? Good solicitors do. Which is also why you must appoint your solicitor at the earliest and anyway much before the other party starts muttering of time being of the essence.
• What are the technologies the firm employs? Does it offer on-line case tracking enabling you to know via a website if there is progress and where the hold up is. Remember: the commonest complaint is that solicitors tend to leave the client in the dark. A technologically savvy solicitor will not have no cause to do that.
• Is the firm acceptable to the other party to the contract if there is such a condition in your deal?