Finding Legal Help When Things Go Wrong
Hopefully you'll have seen the dozens of articles on our site telling you to be wary of the Legal Assistance addons many insurers stick on your policy as already having opted into rather than asking you if you want to opt in like the pretty much do for everything else such as breakdown cover or a courtesy car. It may sound like a good idea at the time when you see costs of a couple dozen pounds in order to secure the services of a solicitor if you need one. Considering solicitors cost hundreds of pounds per hour this sounds like a great deal. However remember that insurers are already making much of a loss on car insurance policies and are not really going to give away more stuff if they can help it. For most car insurance related matters, solicitors work for free. In other words, all that no win no fee and 100% compensation stuff you see on the adverts. In other words, you're paying the insurer for a service that is free and the majority of people don't bother to use their insurance appointed solicitor when something goes wrong anyway because it feels like a conflict of interests:
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Law (aka All Law Ltd) Solicitors in Preston: So how can you discern one firm from another?
As an example we're going to cover a firm called Law based in Preston. Currently, we are helping clients with their Wills, Probate, Divorce and Conveyancing needs."< div>
One of the best independent resources we a...
WYM Legal Ltd Conveyancing Solicitors in Watford: Most will be cautious about what they say on a legal services website. The official site is HTTPS secure though for submitting your details via their contact form. Since both sides always blame the other person's solicitor - you can pretty much guarantee at least one ne...
Woodstock Legal Services Ltd - Solicitors Law Practice in Poole: If you've already been through a few dozen today it's likely you've seen every single one of them make the claim quoted above from Woodstock's. Clearly we ended up with a positive impression of their law practice otherwise we would not have added them to our network.
...
Wolf Law Solicitors Ltd in Wirral: But alot of the time doesn't it just seem to be paragraph after paragraph of sales pitches?
If you've already been through a dozen law firm websites today you'll have seen a wide range of claims such as being 'award winning' (without any reference to what award) or 'le...
Wilford Smith Solicitors in Sheffield (Meadowhall) & Rotherham - WS Strategic Ltd: Because you could get a 1-year newbie solicitor from a 200-year-old firm and a 40-year veteran lawyer from a 1-year old legal practice. This is because the majority of people involved in a property transaction experience problems, delays, and general misery. So what can yo...
Wildcat Law Ltd Solicitors in London & Southampton: Wildcat Law are listed in The Legal 500 which is a very positive independent review of their services. Alot of firms might state they are 'award winning' without ever actually letting you know whether that award was for best logo design or something actually useful for pra...
WH Law Ltd - Immigration Solicitors in Woking: Especially for certain case types such as Divorce, Criminal Law, Motoring Offences, Conveyancing, and Immigration - the latter of which is what the firm clearly handles. People are just often far less inclined to publicly discuss their divorce, bankruptcy, or brain injuries...
Waterstone Partnership Solicitors Ltd in Bradford: 'waterstone partnership bradford'.
But we can't stress enough the importance of reading actual comments and not just relying on star ratings when it comes to comparing firms. On top of that we've also seen a criminal law specialist receive a negative review for refu...
Walker Foster Ltd Solicitors in Skipton, Barnoldswick, Silsden, Settle, Ilkley, Northallerton & Harrogate:
For example at Walker Foster they show solicitors with qualifications spanning the past four decades including Keith Hardington who qualified in 1995, Maxine Heppenstall in 2002, Danielle Harps in 2015, right up to Lee Kirby who joined the profession in 2022. That's m...
UVS Law Immigration & Visa Solicitor in Burton-on-Trent & London:
There are various categories of visas and permits available for individuals seeking entry into the UK. However you need to be very careful when it comes to legal services as not only are there stories about people https: www.unlockthelaw.co.uk News fake-lawyers-how-...
The Law Partnership Ltd - Solicitors in Coventry:
That means you can look up how many years someone has been a solicitor for any of those firms and what areas of law they specialise in. There are already enough of them about and you've most likely arrived at our site because you've seen a post of ours offering more i...
Thomas and Thomas Solicitors Ltd in Maesteg, Bridgend & Port Talbot: But a 'large firm' can also sound like it has benefits too. The same for anything in Scotland above the Edinburgh Glasgow line. They do use some of the wording we mentioned before, such as:
class="infoquote "Our team of experienced solicitors who are specialists in th...
Stephanie Heijdra - The Lady Barrister & Clerksroom Chambers in London: Even reviews are hard to come by which we'll cover in a moment.
Barristers may be part of a 'chambers' or simply be working on their own. Usually we do not include company provided testimonials after the poll we took a few years ago indicated less than 8% of people tru...
Thaxted Legal Ltd Immigration Solicitors in Chislehurst, London: Sadly the government body doesn't even provide a good advisor search function and when trying to look up a firm there is a mountain of reading involved just to find the link to take you to the page that takes you to the link that takes you to the search box etc.
So if...
Summerfield Browne Solicitors in London, Birmingham, Cambridge, Oxford, Market Harborough & Leicester:
Many still might prefer that official office visit when it comes to legal matters, but for businesses that might need to check in with their solicitor several times a year over various commercial law matters - utilising the time-saving technology of video chat is not j...
Sternberg Reed LLP Solicitors with Offices in Romford, Barking & Grays:
However, we see many small firms clearly stating they are small with pride. There are always websites to tell you the "10 best" of something or you'll have your own brand loyalty already. The Law Society covering those areas is one we've often praised on our site. B...
Solidaire Solicitors - Solidaire Law Ltd in Milton Keynes: But with people able to just look up any firm across the whole of the UK, firms that specialise in one or two areas of law can keep their focus and still do well. But if we entered "solidaire luton" the correct firm showed up because Google still have the firm registered to ...
Smith and Graham Solicitors in Hartlepool, Peterlee and Middlesbrough: So if things have gone bad, it hasn't affected their outward image. But the main thing we want to cover in this piece relates to:
class="infoquote "We pride ourselves on our level of client service, constantly striving to ensure our clients expectations are satisfied ...
Sarah Rostamlou-Andrews Law - Landlord / Tenant Eviction Dispute Solicitor in Southport, Lancashire: The Law Society of England & Wales has an amazing amount of https: solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk person 93290 sarah-natalie-rostamlou-andrews" user-side information< a> on each firm registered with them. If the firm you are researching has several offices, this means Googl...
PCS Legal Ltd Conveyancing Solicitors in Basildon, Ongar, Wickford, London, Rayleigh &Harlow: This means delays are common during what is already a difficult and nerve racking time for clients. Because property matters have been targeted by scammers more and more in recent years. We are a firm of Property Lawyers and Probate Practitioners regulated by the Council f...
Oakwood Solicitors Ltd & Oakwood Property Solicitors in Leeds: It sounds great, is clear about their location, and indicates that they offer services for both private matters and commercial ones. If you have access to the possible services of 100,000 solicitors nationwide rather than just the few local law firms around you - surely y...
Nicholson Jones Sutton Solicitors in Macclesfield: So when we write something positive, we're just genuinely positive. 'nicholson jones sutton solicitors macclesfield'. Seasoned heads but with fresh eyes , so to speak. But when it comes to law firms at least, you should never rely on those star ratings. Which is reflected o...
Nero Legal Solicitors Conveyancing Law Firm in Glasgow, Scotland: Property law is the only time we see people leaving negative reviews on the other side's solicitor as well as their own. But when you think about it, are there any firms that would claim to offer 'impractical, out of date advice and cost movers more'? It's unlikely. So what...
SG Murphy & Co Ltd - Solicitors in Newtownabbey, Belfast:
Other positive things that stood out to us was the firm's attempts to provide information on their site. Unless you put that in exactly you won't get to see even the few details https: www.lawsoc-ni.org sg-murphy-co-ltd411" the organisation does show< a>.
c...
MPG Quantity Surveyors Ltd in London - Chartered Surveyors for Construction Dispute Arbitration:
The official site is at www.mpgqs.com which we link to above. It not only provides greater insight into the process itself, but also highlights where you might be able to save time and money using a service such as MPG over hiring a law firm to litigate straight away....
MJV & Co Solicitors Ltd - Law Firm in Thornton-Cleveleys, Blackpool: The last two though could mean a range of things but usually that they've added up all the years of experience of all the staff together. They haven't even added on the expertise of any other staff at the firm which probably comes to another 10 years on top. The branding is ...
McCarthy + Co LLP Solicitors in Dublin, Cork & Clonakilty: It didn't even link to the secure version of the firm's website either. They are not the be-all and end-all of important things to check. We had an issue trying to get reviews to come up on Google's site.
class="infoquote "we bring over 30 years of sterling legal exp...
Mark Croft Driving Offence Solicitor in Derby:
class="infoquote "I am available to undertake criminal legal aid agency work."< div>
Again this is another statement that you might let slip by , but since the '90s there have been increasing efforts by each goverment to decrease the number of people that can q...
Mackenzie Jones Solicitors in St Asaph, Menai Bridge & Chester: Just ... and recommendations"< div>
A quick note on navigation as the firm uses a shortened version for the web address. no ... For example:
class="infoquote "provide expert timely advice and communicate in a way that is clear and responsive to your requirements...
Lyons Solicitors - Law Firm in Kingswood, Westbury-on-Trym & Chew Magna (Bristol): That's a big difference, but at first glance they may look the same. It's strange to think the internet has only been with us just over two decades because it really feels as though the way in which we shop and hire services has changed more in those 20 years than in the 2...
LS Legal Solicitors Ltd: So what are the independent forums saying?
class="infoquote "highly professional and super helpful"
"professional and approachable, explaining anything I wasn’t sure about"
"extremely efficient with clear and concise communication"
"very knowledgeable, expe...
Kee Solicitors Ltd in Glasgow & Aberdeen: But you never know what fraud might come your way, so be vigilant about what site you're on and what you discuss via email.
. We have one niche firm on our network handling only life-changing injury claims and another that only represents whistleblowers. (Yes, if you wonder...
Horsley Law Solicitors in Stafford aka Horsley Holdings Ltd: They are a limited firm and https: www.sra.org.uk consumers register organisation ?sraNumber=629429#headingFirmNames" registered with the SRA< a> (Solicitor Regulation Authority). Neither do any of the variants we tried such as www.horsleysolicitors.co.uk
If you ar...
Hill House Chambers - Barristers Based in London: Why it took so long to make this available to the public in the UK - who knows.
class="infoquote "Are you a solicitor looking for a barrister to instruct, or a member of the public looking for the right direct access barrister for your case, what should you be looking...
Heritage Park Family Law Ltd - Barrister Chambers in Ampthill, Bedford: A solicitor may not be able to represent you in court while a barrister can.
class="infoquote "With Heritage Park Family Law you have the added benefit of guidance from our founder who is a specialist family law Barrister."< div>
What's the difference between ...
HCR Legal LLP Solicitors Law Firm incl Medical Accident Group in Worcester, Birmingham & Hereford: Every firm will put amazing sounding sales-pitches on their websites:
class="infoquote "Our passion for people is at the heart of everything we do ... Just keep aware of which site you're on and what you discuss by email as fraudsters are always looking for ways to h...
Harrison's Solicitors - Conveyancing in Reading, Caversham & Woodley: If https: solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk organisation people 545890 harrisons-thames-valley-solicitors-llp?Solicitors=True" you look up< a> the page for this firm you'll see the titular solicitor Ashley Harrison qualified in 1997 with David Woodward qualifying in 2008. It d...
Guardian Law Ltd - Employment & HR Lawyers in Nottingham: Plus this would also indicate they stay very much up to date with the huge number of changes constantly affecting businesses in the UK and internationally. They were all very positive , but lacking enough comments content to provide a good overview of the firm. This brings ...
Goldsmith Bowers Debt Recovery & Litigation Solicitors in Bradford: The answer isn't completely black and white, but certainly there is enough anecdotal evidence from our 20+ years in the industry to make the claim that people have found better results with specialist Motor Offence, Divorce, and Medical Negligence firms.
Making sure...
Girlings Solicitors LLP & Girlings Personal Injury Claims Ltd in Sandwich, Ashford & Canterbury: Be aware that www.girlings.co.uk is a totally different firm doing Lettings. It's not as if any firm is claiming to be 'one of the failing' or 'outdated' or 'ineffecient'. They have the Lexcel quality assurance mark given by The Law Society, specific accreditation for Pers...
Frei Solicitors Ltd - Luxury Asset Law Firm in London: As you may have noticed if you've flicked through the law firm listings pages of this site, we are not a directory listing every legal practice under the sun across the UK.
class="infoquote "extremely clear, concise, practical and courteous"
"very happy with the co...
Foster & Coleman Ltd Solicitors in Bromley, Greater London: The majority of scams the past several years have all focused on https: www.theguardian.com money 2019 aug 24 the-45000-deposit-for-our-first-home-was-stolen-and-the-banks-did-nothing" residential property matters< a>. For example you'd obviously be much better off with...
Eve Lake Conveyancing & Legal Services in Hope Valley: How does Eve Lake Conveyancing fare on the comment forums?
class="infoquote "provided exceptional services throughout the entire process"
"extremely quick to get the purchase completed"
"went above and beyond to bring things in within timescales"
"fantastic com...
EMD Law LLP Solicitors in Staplehurst & St Leonards-on-Sea: It might suprise you to know that not all law firms have made this recommended change to their site yet. There's plenty of experience within this law office with solicitor Robert Taylor having qualified in 1977 and Elizabeth Dumbleton in 1999. If you're about to pay tens o...
EDC Lord & Co Solicitors in Southall: This is an excellent way for potential clients to get to know the lawyers at EDC Lord and determine whether they have the experience and expertise needed to handle their legal matter.
class="infoquote "EDC Lord takes its name from our founder Edwin David Charles Lord ...
Eatons Solicitors in Bradford, Bingley, Yeadon & Leeds West Yorkshire: So anything to help people not get misdirected or misled is a plus in our book . A common one is to state the number of years the firm has existed. You don't see that for any other case type such as a disgruntled divorcee complaining their spouse's firm won. But it doesn't ...
Drummond Miller LLP Solicitors in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bathgate, Musselburgh, Dalkeith & East Kilbride: Sometimes for something as simple as an official-looking email telling them the bank payment details have changes. The Law Society of England & Wales has a huge user side pile of data for people to go through on any of their members including any trading names, alternative...
Dispute Resolver Consultancy - Mediation & Alternative Dispute Resolution ADR in London: Google has also made changes so that reviews of a firm will often not pop up with just their name entered into the search. People have also handed their entire house deposit to a fraudster sometimes based on a single faked email. For solicitors it might be their local Law So...
Defank Solicitors in London: There are ways you can find out information yourself to help determine whether a particular firm is right for you or not . It's the person taking the case that's most important to you. It is really important to note exactly where you should be going and the official detai...
QualitySolicitors Large & Gibson - Law Firm in Southsea, Portsmouth: So firms who specialise in these might have few or even no reviews, while property sales legal practices will always have plenty of people expressing their feelings. The brand could be 120 years while all their solicitors qualified 6 months ago. So 'John Doe Solicitors' beco...
CWJ Solicitors & Notaries - Clarkson Wright & Jakes Ltd in Orpington, Kent: We see many legal practices touting 'established in' dates with the obviously intention of implying they are more experienced and well-established than others.
class="infoquote "We support a number of organisations and encourage everyone at CWJ to participate in commu...
Cullimore Dutton Solicitors Ltd - Conveyancing & Legal Services in Chester: If you've flicked through a few of our articles already you'll hopefully have noticed that we try to mix reviews of any firm with general information that might help you make a decision about which firm to use. Names, years of experience, any additional specialties and direc...
Crockett & Co Family Law Solicitors in Leeds: You could end up with a 1-year green lawyer from a 40-year-old law firm and vice versa. This firm's claim of 1991 seems quite reasonable. But beyond simply specialising, the other thing most people want in their legal representative is experience. The Law Society of England ...
Cook Legal Ltd Law Firm in Wirral, Merseyside: So if a law firm has several offices, you have to look up each one individually if using Google.
class="infoquote "Cook Legal solicitors ...
It's not always as easy to find reviews of legal companies though. They handled a wide range of services and if you...
TWB Probate Solicitors Ltd - Estate Planning, Wills & Probate in London: clients complete a relatively comprehensive questionnaire which is followed up by a series of e-meetings proves more suitable for those whose might want tax advice or whose circumstances were not entirely straightforward"< div>
A note on navigation as when we were tryi...
Calio Claims Ltd - Personal Injury in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth & Dundee:
With that all in the past, why do law firms still use separate brand names and 'Trading As' statements? The most common reason is modern appeal.
class="infoquote "With one of the largest personal injury teams in Scotland, we help people secure the compensation...
Buchanan & Co Ltd Solicitors in Staveley, Chesterfield, Kiveton Park & Sheffield: But according to our poll a few years back only 8% of you put any stock in company provided reviews. Also while the firm's branding uses an ampersand, such characters https: uniregistry.com blog post the-symbols-of-brand-domain-confusion" don't exist< a> in web addresses ...
Brown & Co Solicitors in Greenwich, London: So what are people saying about the firm on the independent boards:
class="infoquote "answer phonecalls and reply emails almost immediately and even on weekends"
"never had to call him as he always kept me updated via email or text"
"license was granted on that ve...
Brodies LLP Solicitors in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh & Inverness Scotland:
class="infoquote "Alzheimer Scotland has been our charity partner since 2020, and we are proud to have raised more than £150,000 with fundraising initiatives"< div>
.
The Law Society of England & Wales will show you all office locations, contact informa...
Bridge McFarland LLP - Solicitors in Grimsby, Hull, Lincoln, Louth, and Market Rasen: Photos of people in suits smiling and shaking hands with bits of paper in their hands are very nice, but they don't help you decide one firm from the other. Always bear these sorts of things in mind.
There are many resources available to you though and many things you ...
Brian Barr Solicitors Ltd Chronic Pain & Fibromyalgia Compensation in Manchester:
If you https: solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk office 490026 brian-barr-limited" look up the page< a> for this firm you'll see several staff with a range of qualification dates such as Phillip Cohen who qualified as a solicitor in 2006, Steven Akerman in 2013, right up...
Scotland Injury Solicitors from Baker Hardman Ltd in Glasgow:
With so much choice though, how do you know which firm is right for you? There are some resources online you may not be aware of and some things to watch out for when scrolling through the various law firm websites. Some have https: www.express.co.uk finance person...
Backhouse Solicitors in Chelmsford, Essex: 'backhouse solicitors chelmsford') when searching to get the correct reviews to pop up because sometimes if a firm has a name similar to serveral others Google will return no reviews despite there being plenty. This includes Minal Backhouse who qualified in 1997, Clare Sheer...
Amy King Legal - Personal Injury & Litigation Solicitor in Gillingham, Kent: Or at least, less understanding. So does the age of a company's brand name mean anything?
class="infoquote "Sound legal advice is based on years of training, hard work, and passion, as well as familiarity with legislation and precedent and sound consideration."< di...
ACSL Solicitors Ltd in Liverpool: So when it comes to legal services you really need to actually read the comments rather than flick through just the star ratings in order to get the full picture. We are a team of closely knit legal professionals who all enjoy our jobs every single day."< div>
There ...
A City Law Firm Ltd in London: This is something to watch out for though.
That last bit of data is hugely helpful when it comes to working out if a firm is experienced or not. Don't make assumptions because for all you know it may be an award for best logo design and nothing to do with their actu...
Two Harcourt Buildings Chambers - 2HB Barristers in London: Not the chambers as a whole. If you search the usual comment boards such as Google, Trustpilot, or Facebook there may only be a handful of reviews or ratings and they will always be about the actual barrister that handled the case.
class="infoquote "Her calm yet firm ...
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