Death, divorce, moving house and losing a job are commonly cited as being the most stressful situations in life. They are also events which commonly give rise to the need to take legal advice. If you find yourself needing expert advice, choosing the right adviser is crucial.
There are three key matters to consider:
- Experience and expertise;
- Cost;
- What happens if things go wrong.
Experience and expertise
Always check that your adviser is appropriately qualified to give the advice you require and
don’t be afraid to ask about their experience. Many solicitors have not only met the requirements to qualify as a solicitor, they also study further to achieve additional accreditations acknowledging their expertise.
At Neale Turk LLP the quality of our advice is acknowledged by the Law Society. We are accredited by the Law Society for our outstanding conveyancing practice. Furthermore, our private client partner holds full membership to both the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners (STEP) and the Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialist (ACTAPS). These memberships are obtained through years of additional study, and members are recognised as specialists in the areas of Wills, administering estates, trusts, court of protection work and also resolving disputes in those matters. In the area of divorce, we are members of Resolution (a national network of family law experts) and we also have a well-established practice in employment disputes. Our property department comprises of four lawyers who can efficiently deal with any issues arising in the course of a property transaction, given their combined experience of over 100 years.
The breadth of our expertise means that we can provide you with joined up advice which covers your situation as a whole. For example, if you instruct us regarding a divorce, we can also advise you regarding putting in place a new Will and also assist with any property sale and purchase.
Cost
When it comes to costs, you are entitled to understand the potential costs you will incur from the outset of a matter. This means understanding not only the initial costs, but also any additional costs which might arise at a later date. For example, some companies might offer a cheap fixed fee for preparing a Will, but they will then charge further costs to safely store the document.
At Neale Turk LLP we are committed to providing transparent information up front. Where possible we offer fixed fees and we do not charge for storing documents.
What can you do if things go wrong?
In any area that you take advice you should check that your adviser is regulated by a recognised official institution that has authority to impose fines and compensation if the advice you receive is unsatisfactory in any way. Not all advisers are regulated and insured in this way.
As a firm of qualified solicitors, Neale Turk LLP is fully regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The Solicitors Regulation Authority can fully investigate solicitors conduct and can impose fines and ultimately even bar a solicitor from practising. This means that clients who instruct regulated solicitors can have full confidence that there is an independent regulator who they can turn to if necessary.
Finally…
If you are encountering one of life’s stressful moments, the above considerations will be important but in addition you also need to know that you have an adviser on your side who you can fully trust. At Neale Turk LLP we have been providing local, friendly, expert legal advice for over 50 years. For this reason, many of our clients have been instructing us to assist them with all areas of their lives for decades, knowing that we are here for them, providing practical and expert advice at a fair and reasonable cost. If you need legal advice, give us a call and find out how our experts can help.
Contact the team at Neale Turk today if you need expert legal advice.