Choosing the Best Corporate Solicitors for You

Solicitors are much like doctors in that you need to have confidence in their skills from the start. Doubting your choice of solicitor when you are part way through your proceedings is never good, so it makes sense to take time with the research stage.

To help you with this, the following 5 points are worth looking into.

1. Location

You are probably going to want your solicitor close to hand, and especially if your legal proceedings require you to sign a variety of papers e.g. if you’re buying a property or getting divorced. Conducting an online search for your general area will give you a starting list of solicitor firms that you can then whittle down using additional criteria. So for example, searching for ‘corporate solicitors in Reading’ will furnish you with several potential candidates that you can then research further.

2. Areas of Law

Not all solicitors practice the same areas of law with the same expertise. If you’re looking for a family law solicitor for example, then you should primarily try to find one that has been recognised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in that field. Their recognition by the SRA will make them an Accreditation Scheme member and show they are an expert in their chosen field. 

3. Qualifications and Training

Solicitors within England and Wales are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. They are entered on to the SRA register once they have their basic qualifications, but this doesn’t mean they have experience in their field. A reputable solicitor will be happy to explain their qualifications, their training and their experience to you when asked. The solicitor you choose must be SRA registered, but they must also have provable experience of legal matters similar to yours.

4. Recommendations

There are two main types of recommendation that a solicitor can get: 

• A professional recommendation 
• Word of mouth from a previous client

Professional recommendations are worth making a note of because they can provide a lot of information about a solicitor, but remember that they can sometimes be revenue driven. A better form of recommendation is through word of mouth. Satisfied clients will always have a good word to say so if your friends, family members or even work colleagues can recommend a solicitor - this is a good place to start.

5. Language Skills

If English isn’t your native language then you might want to look for a solicitor who can communicate in several languages. Similarly if your legal dealings involve the laws of a foreign country e.g. buying or selling a property abroad, suing a non-UK company/hospital/airline for negligence etc. then it makes sense to find a solicitor who can fluently speak the language you require. 

Of course not all corporate solicitors, whether they’re in Reading or anywhere else in the country, will be multilingual and it may be that none of your local solicitors are. In this case you should ask how they intend to communicate with the foreign people in question. The best solicitors will go out of their way to find a solution.

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