Choosing the right solicitor to help you resolve your legal issues is a very important step in defending your position and ensuring that you obtain the outcome that you are seeking. It can even be argued that this is perhaps the most important step in ensuring a favourable outcome.

As such, it is imperative that you have some basic knowledge about how to select the best solicitor to help you; and so we have prepared a list of what is important to keep in mind when deciding who to retain. To make yourself more comfortable, depending on the time frame you have to work with, it may be prudent to initially consult with a few solicitors regarding your legal issue. Remember that many solicitors offer a first consultation for free. To find the right solicitor for you, take advantage of this and gather as much information as possible during this meeting.

In attempt to choose the best solicitor, you should find out:

• What type of experience and expertise does the solicitor have with the type of issue you are dealing with?

• When is the last time they dealt with a similar type of issue?

• What have their outcomes of similar cases been? Have they been successful? What has been the key to their success?

• What Professional Bodies do they belong to? Do they hold any distinctive awards?

• How does the solicitor or the firm charge? Hourly? Fixed fee? No win no fee? Are they affordable to you?

• Approximately how efficient is the solicitor? (Can compare this to other solicitors who you meet with. If one is more expensive per hour, but works faster than the cheaper ones, then consider this when looking at costs.)

• Who will be managing the case? Will it be the solicitor you initially meet with or will it be one of the junior solicitors or legal support staff? If different people are handling different matters, how will you be charged for their services? Who should you correspond with?

• What type of reputation does the solicitor have? Have you been recommended to them? Do they have any complaints against them? You can investigate this on your own by checking with the Legal Complaints Service.

It is advisable to perhaps make your own notes at the initial consultation so that after meeting with a few solicitors, on comparison, it will be easy to choose the best solicitor for you.