Tips on hiring a solicitor for your legal needs
Throughout your lifetime, there may be a time or two when you need to hire a solicitor. It could be for any reason. You may be charged with a crime or with a DUI, or it may be for something as simple as needing legal representation when buying a new home, or if for some reason you are trying to avoid legal problems and need advice.
Whatever the reason, you will need to find the right lawyer for you, as not all have the same specializations:
Questions to Ask a Solicitor
Before you hire a lawyer, you need to shop around just like you would for any large purchase. Hiring a lawyer is not cheap, so you need to be sure that you get the right lawyer in the first place. There are several questions you will want to ask when interviewing prospective solicitors. Obviously, the first questions will be about how long they have been practicing law, and how much they charge. Here are some other questions you will need to ask:
- Have you had similar cases in the past, and if so, were the results favourable for your clients?
- Will you try to settle the case out of court, or will you automatically take it to trial?
- Will it be you who works solely on my case? If not, who else is going to be involved?
- How long do these types of cases usually take to get to completion?
- Do you take payment plans, and if so, what kind of arrangements can I make?
The Initial Consultation
Many solicitors will offer a free first consultation, so they can learn more about your case. This will give you the opportunity to ask the above questions, and any other questions that you may have. Now is the time to go into detail about the case. The more the solicitor knows, the better able he or she will be able to answer all of your questions. A first consultation will likely take anywhere from 15 minutes to a half an hour, depending on the nature of your case.
Take Notes
It is important that you take notes during each consultation. Then, you can sit down and compare notes about the various solicitors you have spoken with. You should also do this so you don't have any questions to ask later, as you will likely have to pay for the solicitor's time to have questions answered.
Contact a company such as Young And Muggleton if you want to learn more.