In Australia alone, there are more than 65,000 solicitors, so choosing the right one is essentially a skill. These are the people who are going to fight legal battles on your behalf and sometimes your whole life change because of an unfavorable ruling of the court.
We offer 9 tips on how to choose the most suitable legal representative that you can partner up with for the years to come.
Which area of law do you need?
Like doctors or contractors, lawyers specialize in a certain area of law. There are real estate lawyers, family lawyers, business lawyers, etc. In big cities, such as Sydney or Melbourne, the variety of specialized solicitors is greater, while in rural towns, one solicitor covers several fields of study.
For Australian entrepreneurs, corporate law solicitors are the best option by far. Whatever the case, you should look at a solicitor’s portfolio to determine whether their legal skills match your representational needs.
What is the solicitor’s reputation?
Speaking about the solicitor’s portfolio, you should enquire about their reputation too. A downtown office and a fancy website aren’t necessarily signs that a lawyer is respected. Try to find clients they have served before and ask them whether they were satisfied.
Since Sydney is a metropolis, it might prove to find these people in person. However, the solicitor’s Facebook page or Instagram account could harbor valuable info in the form of users’ comments. Finally, there are professional referral services that can pair you with a certified lawyer in your area.
Where is the solicitor located?
As you might have realized by now, the location of the solicitor is going to play a major role in the final decision. This is not only due to accessibility but the fact that laws vary from country to country and more importantly for Australia, from state to state.
The lawyer you hire shouldn’t waste time delving into regional legal requirements. Furthermore, if you reside in a rural region, look for a law firm willing to travel to your location or one that offers online video or audio consultations.
Learning to trust your solicitor
For solicitors, the key to developing trust with their clients is precisely excellent communication. Whether in person or online, communication should never be an issue. Of course, your solicitor isn’t the EMS, so you can reach them anytime and anyplace but once they stop returning calls, you’ll something is wrong.
On the other hand, trusted solicitors from Sydney and other Australian cities will never shun their client’s requests. A good solicitor will always make time to explain complicated legal matters to his/her clients. Moreover, they will clarify every misunderstanding and offer a plan of action for every problem.
Why do you need a solicitor in the first place?
The reason why communication between a solicitor and their clients breaks is the indecisiveness of the client, i.e. the inability to clearly state what they expect from the lawsuit. You can avoid this problem by asking yourself why do you need an attorney in the first place.
In some cases, you can solve the legal issue at hand on your own, while in other instances you might just need legal consultations and not a solicitor. The clearer you are with your demands, the better will the lawyer be able to help your case.
Will it be a long-term appointment?
Some people require a solicitor just to stamp a document, while other Australians are searching for a solicitor that would become their family solicitor (we are not referring to the branch of law).
If you are looking for a long-term appointment, many solicitors will offer you free consultations and a discounted tariff.
The price you pay
Speaking of money, you need to come up with a rough budget before you start contacting potential solicitors. Most law firms are more than willing to give you a quote for their services, so you know I advance how much their services are going to cost.
There are several ways solicitors charge their services. Some use an hourly rate, for some, it’s a flat rate, while the third group of lawyers works with a contingency fee. As mentioned earlier, when a lawyer travels to your address or they send you some papers, this can be charged separately.
Is the solicitor available?
Whether big or small, Australian solicitors are swamped. There are millions of active cases in New South Wales, so individual solicitors have to multitask. Therefore, you need to be clear regarding your enquiry in terms of timing.
This way, the solicitor can give you an honest estimate whether their caseload allows them to represent you. In cases when the desired solicitor doesn’t have enough time for your case personally, perhaps they can delegate a trainee solicitor who would work under the senior partner’s watchful eye.
Is the solicitor’s personality important?
Just like regular folks, people of all sorts of personalities become solicitors. However, you shouldn’t pay too much attention to the lawyer’s personality as long it doesn’t influence your case. On the other side, if the solicitor is highly unprofessional and negligent, then don’t hesitate to terminate the contract.
If you ask yourself the 9 questions listed above and come up with 9 solid answers, you’ll have no trouble finding the right solicitors. After all, there are so many experienced lawyers in Australia that there is always an alternative.