Learn how much you will pay
Buying a house? Or maybe dealing with a loved one's death?
When you start looking for a solicitor, remember that solicitor's firms must publish prices (and what's included) for some commonly used services.
This could help you decide what legal help you can afford.
What prices must a solicitor publish?
A firm must publish information on price and services on their website if they offer these services:
For the public
- Buying a house (residential properties only)
- Probate (uncontested cases)
- Motoring offences (summary offences only)
- Immigration (not including asylum)
- Employment tribunals (unfair/wrongful dismissal)
For businesses
- Employment tribunals (unfair/wrongful dismissal)
- Debt recovery (Up to £100,000)
- Licensing applications (for business premises)
If they don't have a website, you can ask them for this information instead.
You will still need to agree specific costs when instructing a solicitor to carry out the work. But this will hopefully help with your search.
For other all areas of law, you should contact law firms directly to discuss potential prices and services they offer.
What else must they must also publish?
As well as prices, they also must publish:
- what services are included within the price
- anything not included that you might expect to be
- details about the experience and qualifications of their staff
- likely timescales and how long the work should take.