Legal Specialists

How much thought do you/would you give to your choice of Solicitor or adviser?

To what extent do you consider their expertise or experience?

For me, as a Solicitor, if I am referring a client to a fellow professional for advice on a topic that I am not familiar with I will look around for the specialist in that area. I understand the benefit of having a specialist dealing with your case verses a generalist practitioner who does a bit of this and a bit of that.

In ‘ye-olden days’ Solicitors would advise clients on different areas of law and would have a mixed case load, but gradually over time this has changed within the profession. There are a number of reasons behind this change, including more complexities in the law, faster pace of legal change, and the higher risk of getting it wrong if you take on work in an area you are not particularly knowledgeable in (and the associated indemnity insurance premiums!).

Don’t get me wrong I am not saying it is impossible but on the whole, you will find that in most legal firms individuals will focus on one area of law.

What difference does this make to you? Well I was prompted to right this article as I was recently contacted by a new client who found Real Employment Law Advice via Google and said that whilst they know of other Solicitors firms they wanted a specialist in employment law who could provide full and comprehensive advice they could rely on.

So, why should you choose a specialist Solicitor?

1. They deal with the area of law on a day to day basis.

This means that they will have up to date knowledge of legal changes, processes and will probably have dealt with a case similar to yours and will therefore have experience of resolution of your matter first hand.

2. Will be familiar with the particular court or tribunal where your case will be dealt with.

In the Employment Tribunal for example there are legal processes and non-legal administrative things that come up, and therefore the more experienced you are at dealing with the Employment Tribunal the smoother your case is likely to run.

3. They will normally take less time to deal with your issue and therefore less costs (where charges are by the hour).

A specialist will have access to key resources and precedent documents and their experience will mean that it takes less time to deal with a matter than a generalist who may be working on several areas of law at the same time.

4. Best practice

In addition to understanding the law and process, you will normally find that a specialist has developed best practice in their area, and they can pass this on to you or utilise in your case.

5. Will be more up to date

Because they focus on one area of law all of their training, professional development activities, writing and reading will be about that area of law and so they will have more time to stay up to date and it is likely that they will be more widely read on the topic than a Solicitor who is practicing more than one area of law.

6. Passionate about their area of law!

Finally, you will find that Solicitors who specialise in an area of law do so because they are passionate about that area and genuinely enjoy the work. This will reflect in how they handle your case and assist you.

I am pleased to say that all staff at Real Employment Law Advice are passionate about employment law! Our mission statement says it all really:

REAL Employment Law Advice provides the most user friendly legal advice about work issues in the UK. We use innovative technology and forward-thinking systems to provide clear, jargon free, timely advice about work related issues and best practice.

We analyse the risks and opportunities, taking away the stress from our clients. We provide reassurance, essentially holding client’s hands when it is needed.

We pride ourselves on treating our clients like they are a family member, showing empathy, without judgement. We focus on the individual needs, not just the law.

We strive to contribute to the wider world of work and best practice making the working environment the best it possibly can be in the UK.

Please feel free to leave a comment, question or observation below. Alternatively get in touch directly: hello@realemploymentlawadvice.co.uk

This article was written and researched by Alison Colley, Solicitor and Director at Real Employment Law Advice.

 Don’t forget getting advice from a Solicitor does not have to be complicated or costly!