Checklist for selecting a lawyer
Whatever your legal problem, you take a big step towards resolving it when you hire a good lawyer. This in itself, however, can be tricky. Where do you find the best lawyer for you, how do you know they’re good, and what should you look for?
The following is a checklist of things to remember when selecting a lawyer. Every legal problem is unique, and these are guidelines only.
- Select a lawyer with the right experience in law. Ask if they have conducted similar matters to yours. Do they have experience in your area of business, or in your particular legal issue? Are they familiar with what arguments work best, and how long organisations that may be involved such as insurance companies take to reply?
- How recently have they handled matters similar to yours? Are they up-to-date with recent developments in the area of law in question?
- Do you feel comfortable when you meet them? Do they listen properly to what you say? Do they explain matters clearly? You may want to have initial consultations with a few lawyers before selecting one.
- Has the lawyer been recommended to you? If so, by whom? Whoever recommended them may have had an entirely different set of circumstances from yours.
- Is the lawyer a member of any professional bodies such as Resolution (for family lawyers) or the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers? If not, why not? If so, then this is a good sign that they are up-to-date with recent developments in their area of practice.
- How much does the lawyer charge? Can you afford them? If a lawyer is experienced, fast and efficient, but charges more, then it may still be cheaper in the long run to hire them than a cheaper but less experienced lawyer.
- How does the lawyer charge for the work? Do they do ‘no win, no fee’ work, charge by the hour or set a fixed fee? Different lawyers may charge in different ways for the same work.
- Does the lawyer have any awards or quality kitemarks (e.g. Lexcel)?
- Will the lawyer you initially meet deal with your work, or will it be passed to other staff? If the latter, who will be handling your work?
- Has the lawyer ever had any complaints or law suits upheld against him or her? This information can be easily found out by phoning the Legal Complaints Service on 0845 608 6565 and asking them to check (it will usually be the Records office who do this).
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