Changing Solicitors

It never ceases to amaze us how much a client will put up with before they come to us for a second opinion with a view to us taking over their case.  In the meantime the person conducting their case may have done irreparable damage to their chances of winning. The reason they contact us is often more linked to poor service, because this is something the client understands, then being unhappy with the advice being given, because this is something the client rarely feels qualified to question.

If you are thinking of changing solicitors there are questions that you should ask yourself first. Here are some that we believe may help:

• Who chose the solicitors and why? If they were appointed for you then it is unlikely that you checked their reputation first.  If you appointed them, was this on a recommendation, based on research or simply because they answered the phone?
• What you are unhappy about?  Is it the level of service or the quality of advice received?  If it is a service issue this may be something they can address, but may be part of an underlying problem with the whole of their representation.  If it is a quality of advice issue then ring around other solicitors to get a second opinion (usually given for free).
• Are you never able to talk to your solicitor or get a response to letters?  Good solicitors are usually busy solicitors, so a lack of prompt response may be explained by this.  Also, if you are corresponding with them more than once a week it is too much.  However, the same problems can be experienced with overworked solicitors and solicitors who do not know what they are doing.  The job of a solicitor is to let a client know what to expect when and to then deliver on that. If you are not being told what to expect and when then they are not doing their job properly.
• Are they failing to deliver on what they said they would achieve?  The golden rule is to under-promise and over-deliver.  However, we have regularly been faced with enquiries where other solicitors have made promises we are not prepared to make as we do not believe that the promises being made are realistic and/or achievable. 

When looking for a solicitor you should ask who will be dealing with your case and consider the amount of experience they have of personal injury work and road traffic accidents. A simple rule is that the more important the case is to you the more experienced a lawyer you need.  You also need to check whether a qualified lawyer (solicitor or barrister) will be dealing with your case.

We specialise in road traffic accidents. You will have a qualified lawyer handling your case who is experienced in all aspects of road traffic claims. If we are not available and you leave a message, we will phone you as soon as we can.

If you are thinking of changing solicitor you may be reluctant to discus this with your current solicitor as this may be a conflict you wish to avoid.  We always recommend you speak to other solicitors first and have a good idea of who you want to transfer to.  You then have to decide if you should complain first or just move. However, if you are using a Legal Expenses Insurance appointed solicitor you may be obliged to bring a complaint for them to authorise a change under the policy.  We can guide you through this and find that most solicitors in those circumstances would rather an unhappy client go elsewhere than stay with them against their wishes.

Want to change? Contact us on 01296 662770, anytime.