Choose a solicitor
Choosing a solicitor to represent you is an important decision.
Like so many areas this decision is helped by information you can gather on the internet. Comparing insurance quotes is now pretty quick and straightforward. Finding the cheapest television is now so much simpler. Before choosing a solicitor in this way you should think about what you are actually looking for.
You might find a builder on the internet, but would you take a quote and start the job without talking to and meeting the builder first? Do I want this person working at my home, do I trust this person, and is a good job going to be done? All very good questions and not one can be answered by an internet comparison mechanism.
Comparison sites for solicitors are going to grow, and they will influence you, but do please understand how they will work. Insurance comparison sites are middlemen. They introduce the buyer to the seller and take a commission payment when the deal is done. As most people believe they must have insurance, and that all insurance is basically the same, comparing on price alone is fine. Ask yourself does that work for a solicitor.
Looking on the web today I quickly found Lawyer Locator at www.lawyerlocator.co.uk, Compare Lawyers at www.compare-lawyers.co.uk, and Contact Law at www.contactlaw.co.uk. These were in the sponsored links section, so they are paying to appear at the top of the search page.
Beyond the sponsored links is the Law Society at www.lawsociety.org. You can find solicitors by specialism, but not every practice area has identified specialists. You can search by practice and geographical area.
Beyond the Law Society you find Home Buying Guide at www.home.co.uk. You might just get away with a conveyancing choice based on price and timescale, but there are times when local knowledge and experienced advice will help you.
How to choose a solicitor is the headline for Legal Junction at www.legaljunction.co.uk. Their advice is sensible, but they are a marketing company, and income from the site will be based on who they put you in touch with.
One site which is more than a directory, because it is based on client reviews, is legallybetter.com. I have signed up to this website as it gives a genuine basis for comparison – are the clients pleased. You can see my entry by clicking here.
There are going to be lots of new sites offering a new fresh way to choose a solicitor. Legal Compare.com will be next at www.legalcompare.com. Unfortunately they will not have a cute meerkat to guide you, but they will do the same thing as the insurance sites. They will use the factors which can be shown in comparative terms such as price and geography, but like all these sites they cannot tell you what it is like to work with a solicitor.
When choosing a personal injury solicitor you should make a personal choice. Your personal injury solicitor will have to understand how an accident has affected your life, your family life, and your work. Your finances will have to be discussed, and more than likely your medical records. All quite personal stuff, so a personal choice has to be made, not an internet comparison.
Contact me for a chat without obligation, and let’s see how we get on. It might suit you best to chat in the evening or weekend, and that is fine with me.
I look forward to hearing from you.
