Questions to ask when meeting a lawyer

Sometimes you will have no choice but to seek advice from a lawyer about a legal problem. If you meet a lawyer and decide that you want to engage their services, you will want to get the most out of the meeting and ensure that you clearly understand everything they tell you about the possible solutions to your problem, and how much they are going to cost to solve. The questions will vary somewhat depending on what your legal problems involves, but there are some questions which should be asked in every situation, whether your problem is personal or business related.

• Cost – Will they charge an hourly rate or is there a set price for their services? Does this price include VAT? Will you have to pay a monthly bill or will the whole lot be settled only after the matter is resolved? Do you need to make any payments upfront? Can you take out insurance against the risk of losing the case? Will they take your case on a no win no fee basis? If so, what does this involve? How much might you have to pay at the end of a successful case? Are there any other costs you will have to pay? Will you be responsible for paying the costs of the other side in any circumstances?

• Legal aid – Are you entitled to legal aid for this matter? If so, how do you go about obtaining this? If you are successful in obtaining legal aid what are the costs you will have to pay yourself? Will your lawyer handle legal aid cases?

• Timescales – How long is it likely to take to resolve your problem? What are the factors which might change this projected time scale?

• Qualifications – Is your lawyer legally qualified? Do they have a practicing certificate issued by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Bar Council? Have they got enough experience to take this case? Have they worked on cases like this in the past? If so, how many?

• Handling your case – Is the lawyer you are talking to going to be the one working on your case? What happens if they are ill or leave the firm? Will anyone else be involved? If so, who and are they properly qualified to work on the matter?

• Being kept informed – Who will be your main point of contact? How should you communicate with them? Who should you talk to in if this contact is unavailable? How often will they contact you to inform you of the progress of your case? How will this contact be made (by phone, letter, email, etc.)? Does the law firm have a client website or extranet where you can track the progress of your case? Is this site secure? When will you next hear from your lawyer?

• Conflict of interest – Does the lawyer have a relationship with another party involved in your case that could affect the way the matter is dealt with?

• Nature of the case – What does your problem involve? What law is relevant? Is yours a strong case? If no, why not? What is the best way to resolve it? What are the possible alternatives and the pros and cons of each?

• Legal jargon – Will your lawyer explain any legal expressions that they use which you don’t understand?

• Next steps – What information does the lawyer need from you in order to take the case forward? What does the lawyer plan to do next to try to resolve your case? What are the possible alternatives?

• Mediation – Will the lawyer be happy to take the case if you also choose to use a mediator? Is mediation a good option in your case?

• Court – Will you have to go to court? If so, in what circumstances and what will this involve? In a case such as yours, does the lawyer tend to start a court action quickly, or to negotiate with the other side for a long time? What are the implications of both these courses of action?

• Complaints – If you’re not happy about the way your lawyer is dealing with your case, who should you complain to and how should the complaint be made?

• Documentation – Will the lawyer provide you with a written summary of the meeting, including confirmation that they are taking the case plus information about costs, timescales, complaints procedure and next steps?