subject: Important Facts You Need To Know Before Retaining A Litigation Solicitor [print this page] Searching for a solicitor to represent you in court proceedings can be a difficult task. Firstly, legal proceedings are cumbersome, daunting and expensive. It could be difficult to discover a solicitor that you simply trust which has the experience and skill, plus the time to take on your matter having to break your capacity to pay.
You may find that it can be difficult to locate a solicitor that you can build a rapport with and trust with your important legal matter. Add to that mix, is that you need someone that has got the experience and skill, along with the time to consider your matter in a timely manner without breaking your budget.
My three tips on choosing a litigation solicitor, based on my experience, are listed below:
Skill
In order to be successful in the legal industry you need more than a pass mark on a law exam. Lawyers that experience success in this industry including litigation are highly skilled in not only law but the manner in which they conduct their cases and manage their workload. This skill includes being able to manage a number of clients and time frames and the correct planning of a case. Many lawyers also act as advocates as well appearing in court on behalf of their clients. Lawyers with this additional expertise are able to offer their clients insight into the human factors that can affect the success of a case as well as advising on the law. This combined experienced makes litigation lawyers highly sought after and highly skilled in their field.
Know How
If you can find a solicitor or lawyer that is well versed in all areas of law including criminal defence, roads and traffic offences, conveyancing work, wills and probate and customs and tax work you will greatly benefit as a client. This well rounded knowledge means that they are as comfortable acting as litigation solicitors in the court room as they are giving advice to clients. Their all round knowledge means that clients get the benefit of expert advice without having to retain separate counsel for that aspect of the legal matter.
Carriage of a matter
Too often law firms work on the principle that each matter has a team appointed to handle it. Whilst this may sound well and good in principle in reality it is something different. For example, when a senior solicitor meets with a client and gathers their instructions and information that information and the carriage of the file is generally passed to a junior member of the team. The junior works under the supervision of the senior person but they handle day to day matters on the file. Besides the burden of additional fees being incurred for the client there is also the problem of information not being passed to superiors, not being properly assessed or being misunderstood. All of these things can have terrible consequences for the proper running of a case.
Some questions to ask before you hire a lawyer to act for you include who will be doing the work, what is their experience, do you feel that you can trust them, what are their fees. You will find that there is a world of difference between law firms and only asking the right type of questions before you retain a lawyer will give you the assurances you are seeking.
