Consulting a Solicitor

When you have chosen your solicitor, you will need to make an appointment. In most circumstances you should be given an appointment within five working days. If the matter is urgent the solicitor should try and arrange an earlier appointment.

You should take all relevant documents to the appointment and it may be helpful to prepare a list of questions for the solicitor in advance.

A solicitor must comply with certain rules and standards laid down by the Law Society. The solicitor must, for example, give you certain information at the first interview. The information should include:-

• how the solicitor intends to deal with the problem
  
• what the solicitor’s next step is
• information about costs, which must be confirmed in writing as soon as possible after the interview
• in England, Wales and Scotland, whether you will be eligible for publicly funded legal services or criminal legal aid
• in Northern Ireland, whether you will be eligible for legal aid
• the expected timescale of the case.

The Law Society has also produced a document called The Client's Charter, which tells you what you can expect from your solicitor and what to do if you want to make a complaint. Your solicitor does not have to give you a copy of this charter, but it is considered good practice for them to do so.

You should make sure you understand what the solicitor has told you and should not be afraid to ask questions.

During the case the solicitor should keep you regularly informed of progress and costs even if there are no significant developments.