A guide to help you find the right type of solicitor
Finding the right solicitor for your specific legal requirements can seem like a challenge but the following resources should help to point you in the right direction.
The first step is to determine what type of solicitor you will need as solicitors specialise in specific areas of law and so you will want to ensure that your chosen solicitor will have the necessary training and experience relevant to your own specific legal issues.
Larger law firms will often employee a range of solicitors that specialise in various areas of law so that they can offer a wider variety of legal services to their clients but many of the smaller law firms will specialise in one or two areas of law so that they can provide the highest levels of service for that particular niche.
You might be tempted to just use one of the larger law firms but it is worth considering that whilst the larger law firms might be able to offer a myriad of legal services, they can sometimes lose that personal level of communication that some of the smaller firms are able to provide to their clients.
As mentioned above, solicitors specialise in specific areas of law and so it is important to understand which area of law your particular legal issue is related to. To help clarify the type of solicitor you are most likely to need we have listed the most common types of solicitors (and the legal issues they can help to resolve) below.
Family law solicitors will usually be able to help with most legal issues related to your marriage, partner or children. The legal services they provide will usually include divorce, financial settlements with your partner, child arrangement orders and more. You can search for family law solicitors here or if you only require divorce services you can search for divorce solicitors here.
Employment law solicitors can help both employers and employees with most issues related to the workplace. Such issues include disputes related to employment, disagreements over entitled pay, discrimination, unfair dismissal and more. You can search for employment law solicitors here.
The legal process by which a property is transferred from one person to another is called conveyancing. If you are buying or selling a residential property such as your home then you will most likely need a solicitor that specialises in residential property and conveyancing to ensure that all of the necessary legal checks and processes are completed to a suitable standard. You can search for residential property solicitors here.
Probate is the process by which a deceased person’s will is administered after their death. When a will is in probate, the executors of the estate distribute the deceased’s assets in accordance with their wishes as stated in their will. A probate solicitor should be able to help with all matters related to the creation of a will and the probate process. you can search for wills and probate solicitors here.
Landlord and tenant Solicitors specialise in rental contracts and disputes between landlords and tenants. Such issues could include disagreements over damages to a property, issues related to reclaiming rental deposits and breaches of rental agreements by the landlord or by the tenant. You can search for landlord and tenant solicitors here.
Criminal law is the body of law that regulates how crimes are investigated and punished. Criminal law covers all kinds of crimes, from minor road traffic offences to white-collar crime and fraud, to serious crimes such as murder.
A criminal law solicitor can usually help with a wide variety of criminal law cases to help in developing a case against an individual, group of individuals or a business. They can also help to defend an individual or business that has been accused of a crime. You can search for criminal law solicitors here.
If you wish to live, work or study in the UK then you might need a suitable visa depending on your specific circumstances. Such visas allow individuals to move to the UK to be with family members, find work or study. There are many different types of UK visas and so the process is different depending on the Visa that is required.
Solicitors that specialise in immigration law should be able to help with all matters related to visa applications and the legal processes that are associated. You can search for immigration law solicitors here.
Personal injury law deals with injuries caused by an accident, error, neglect, or wrong-doing. In a typical personal injury case, an injured person claims financial compensation from the person or organisation who caused the injury.
A personal injury solicitor can help to make a claim against another person or business that is believed to have caused an injury. Alternatively they can also help an individual or business to defend against a personal injury case that they have been accused of. You can search for personal injury solicitors here.
Business law is a field of law that regulates how people start and operate businesses. This very broad field of law includes or intersects with many subfields, such as employment law, commercial and corporate law, contract law, commercial property law, tax law, banking law, and environmental law.
As the field of business law is a very broad one, the range of processes and procedures associated with business law is similarly extensive. Some examples of processes where a business law solicitor can help include starting a company, negotiating business contracts, resolving disputes, restructuring a business entity and more. You can search for business law solicitors here.
Power of attorney is a legal document that gives someone else the legal authority to act on your behalf, and make decisions for you. If you’re not able to make decisions for yourself, or unable to perform certain tasks yourself, you can give someone else power of attorney to do those things for you.
A power of attorney solicitor can help with this process by providing valuable advice and by helping with the process of appointing an LPA. You can search for power of attorney solicitors here.
Intellectual property rights are used to protect the names of brands and products or services, a product design, written or spoken words, inventions, and other things that have been physically created. There are several ways to protect intellectual property, including patents, copyrights, and trade marks.
The processes associated with registering a trade mark, design, or patent can be complex and time-consuming. In particular, the lengthy and stringent approval process for patent applications means that it’s often useful to get legal help in preparing the application, even though it’s not required by law. Solicitors that provide intellectual property legal services can help you prepare your application. You can search for intellectual property solicitors here.
If you have not found a type of solicitor mentioned above that matches your specific legal issue then it is important to note that there are many additional niche areas of law as the above only includes the most common types of solicitors that are required by people searching our website. You might also find this page on dispute resolution and litigation useful if you have a dispute not mentioned above.