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Is Your Solicitor Right For You
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Queensland | Sunshine Coast | Brisbane
Disclaimer: This is only an Article!
The information contained on this page is just general and provided for information purposes only (or even just entertainment!).*
It is not legal advice, it is not provided to be legal advice in any way.
Read it, enjoy it, think about it, but then contact a lawyer to deal with your legal issues so they can address your specific needs and circumstances.
*or even just for Google search engine points!!
Is Your Solicitor Right for You?
Building Relationships
A good solicitor will spend time making you feel at ease. They’ll know that you don’t deal with a solicitor regularly. Expect them to ask you straightforward questions and get to know you.
A good solicitor will strive to manage your expectations; they can’t say absolutely what the outcome of your matters will be but can advise on the likelihood of success and whether or not it’s worth proceeding with.
Local Knowledge
Local knowledge can often be an added benefit when choosing your Legal representation.
For example in conveyancing matters knowledge of a local housing development often gives insights to a local conveyancer that someone from outside the area won’t have.
For court disputes and litigation, local knowledge of the courtrooms, the staff, Judges and Magistrates can be an advantage. Not to get a good outcome, but simply procedurally.
Personal References
Many legal firms will use review sites to enable verified clients to leave open and honest reviews. A confident and first-class firm will not shy away from such reviews.
We also recommend speaking to family, friends, or business associates if they’ve been in a similar situation so that you can get referrals from people that you already know and trust.
Transparent Legal Fees
Lawyers are not exactly the best at speaking about legal costs with clients. The Legal Services Commission commonly reports that the 'shock' of legal fees is the number 1 complaint they receive from the public.
There may well be unforeseen circumstances that make the legal costs change later, but it should be only those 'unforeseen' issues that cause them to change.
Lawyers are duty bound to tell you that any legal costs estimate will change as soon as they realise, so that you have the chance to do something about it (even changing lawyers if you choose to).
There should be no hidden cost and fees plus any other possible costs should be laid out in an agreement before instructions commence.
Check for Quality
Queensland Law Society accreditation means that the lawyer has been independently assessed in these areas of law and can be formally deemed a specialist.
Look for accreditation in specific areas of law that you need legal advice within.
Of course, accreditation is not the only sign of quality, and doesn't mean the lawyer is going to be the right one for you, but if you have no other metric to judge them by, it's a good start.
Legal Jargon-Free
The law in Queensland is full of jargon!
A good lawyer will not use it (at least not often) as they have an understanding that you are not accustomed to legal matters.
It’s important that your solicitor uses language that’s easy for you to understand, takes you through any aspects that need further explanation and doesn’t cause you any embarrassment in doing so.
And we don't just mean in conversation! Practicing plain-English legal drafting for letters, and other legal documents is an important skill, and one which a good solicitor will strive to master.
Communication
Communication, regardless of its method (mail, email, phone or text) should be prompt, to the point, polite and responsive.
You should be given updates regularly and not find yourself having to constantly chase for updates on where things are at.
Remembering, of course, that Rome was not built in a day, but you should at least know how long it might reasonably take to complete your legal work.
Your Gut Feeling
There is no rhyme or reason to gut feeling – but it shouldn’t be ignored!
Getting a good-gut feeling about a lawyer is borne out of things personal to you, which is why it is important. Do they instil confidence? Do you feel that they understand you? Are they on your side? Or do you just like them?
Different people will react differently to the very same lawyer.
Perhaps the most difficult bit to get right is properly responding to a bad gut feeling.
A lawyer is engaged to provide a service to you, and will make decisions and conduct legal work for you that may effect your life for years to come, well after you've ceased using them.
If you have a bad-gut feeling about a particular lawyer or law firm, you should just walk away.
DISCLAIMER: The content on this page was written at a specific point in time in the past and is provided as general guidance only. It is not intended to be specific legal advice to any person’s particular circumstances who may be reading it. We do not recommend you use this article as a replacement for obtaining proper legal advice on your issue and encourage anyone reading this content to obtain legal advice to ensure the above information and guidance remains valid and suits your particular circumstance. In our experience, there is no ‘one size fits all’ to any legal issue!
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The hope is that we build a trusted relationship of lawyer and client that flourishes over the years, and we keep providing value to your business year on year well into the future.
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