The public often contact us for advice on using a solicitor.
We hope that the contents of this page will help your understanding of what to expect from a solicitor and how we can help.
Meeting a Solicitor for the first time
Most of the time you will have had a brief telephone conversation with a solicitor before meeting them for the first time so they will already have an idea of the nature of your enquiry. When you first meet your solicitor it is often helpful to make a note beforehand of any questions you may want to ask and bring with you any documents that you think might be helpful.
Solicitors are now also required to confirm your identity before accepting instructions to act for you so you will usually be required to take either your driving licence or passport and a recent utility bill (no older than 3 months) to your first meeting.
At your first meeting your solicitor will ask lots of questions – this is usual and helps the solicitor understand the nature of your enquiry, how complex it may be and what he or she needs to do to help you. It will also help the solicitor to give you an indication of how long it is likely to take and what the likely costs will be. It is often very difficult to give you an exact price as this depends on many factors but the solicitor will advise you about costs, tell you what their hourly charging rate is and will also advise you about the various options for funding your matter. By the end of the meeting your solicitor will agree with you what their next course of action will be and will agree to write to you to confirm everything you have discussed.
What happens next?
After your first meeting, as stated above your solicitor will write to you setting out their understanding of your matter, what they intend to do and they will also confirm information regarding costs, funding and what to do in the event you are ever unhappy about the service you are receiving. This is called a client care letter and all solicitors are required to send you a client care letter at the very beginning of your matter.
What if I am unhappy with my Solicitor?
We recognise that unfortunately, there may be an occasion when someone is unhappy with their solicitor. We hope that you never find yourself in this situation, but if you do, you should initially raise your concerns directly with the solicitor acting for you (or a partner from the relevant law firm) who will deal with your complaint through the law firm’s own internal complaints procedure. Any solicitor acting for you is obliged to inform you of their internal complaints procedure in writing. This is usually done at the outset of your matter when the solicitor sends you an initial client care letter. Your complaint must be about the service you have received from a solicitor, and/or about their behaviour according to the professional rules governing solicitors.
Please note that a complaint can only be made against your solicitor and not against a solicitor acting for the other party.
When we get involved
If your complaint isn't dealt with to your satisfaction by your solicitor or by the partner of the law firm who deals with complaints, Nottinghamshire Law Society can assist by helping to facilitate a resolution.
What we cannot do
Nottinghamshire Law Society is unable to give legal advice about your complaint, or appoint a solicitor for you. We cannot assist you if your complaint is against a solicitor based outside Nottinghamshire and we are unable to investigate complaints of professional negligence (negligence, in its legal meaning, is not the same as poor service or misconduct, which is something that we can give guidance on). The Society does not have disciplinary powers and does not have the power to award compensation or to adjust a solicitor's bill.
The Society's principle objective is to help facilitate a resolution between you and your solicitor and we are pleased to say that in our experience, most complaints can be resolved.
This service is entirely free. Please contact Mike Lewis if you would like any further information.
