How to choose a solicitor: a step-by-step guide

Choosing a solicitor can feel daunting, especially when you are dealing with something stressful like a divorce, a house move or a dispute at work. The good news is that a simple, structured approach will help you find a firm that suits your needs and budget, and avoid the most common pitfalls.

1. Be clear about what you need

Start by writing down, in a few sentences, what has happened and what you want to achieve. This helps you identify the right area of law. For example, you may need a family solicitor for a separation, a conveyancer for a purchase, or an employment solicitor for a dismissal. Note any deadlines, such as a court date, a tribunal time limit or a completion date. Some legal time limits are very short.

2. Look for a specialist

Law is a broad field, and most solicitors specialise. A firm that handles your type of case every week will usually work faster, spot problems earlier and give more reliable advice on likely outcomes and costs. When you search our directory, filter by area of law and location, then look at each firm's profile to see what areas it has registered with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Accreditations can also signal expertise. Examples include the Law Society's accreditation schemes (such as the Family Law, Conveyancing Quality, Wills and Inheritance Quality and Immigration schemes), Resolution membership for family lawyers, and Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) accreditation.

3. Check the firm is regulated

Every firm listed as "SRA authorised" on this site is on the official SRA register. Before you instruct a firm, and especially before you transfer money, check its SRA number and contact details against the register. Fraudsters sometimes impersonate real firms. Our guide on how to check a solicitor is genuine explains what to look for.

Using a regulated solicitor gives you important protections: the firm must hold professional indemnity insurance, follow the SRA's standards, and use the Legal Ombudsman's complaints scheme. Clients may also be able to claim from the SRA Compensation Fund if money is lost through a solicitor's dishonesty.

4. Think about location and how you want to work

Many legal services, such as conveyancing, wills and employment advice, can be handled entirely by phone, email and video call, so you are not limited to firms on your doorstep. However, a local firm can be valuable where you may need face-to-face meetings, local court knowledge or home visits. Criminal defence and care proceedings are examples.

5. Compare costs properly

SRA-regulated firms must publish price information for a number of common services, including residential conveyancing, uncontested probate, employment tribunal claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal, immigration applications (excluding asylum) and summary-only motoring offences. Use this to compare firms, but always ask for a written estimate based on your circumstances. Check whether it includes:

• VAT (currently charged on most legal fees);
• disbursements, which are third-party costs such as court fees, search fees, Land Registry fees or barristers' fees;
• what happens if the work becomes more complicated than expected.

Our guide to solicitor fees explains fixed fees, hourly rates and no win, no fee arrangements. You may also be eligible for legal aid, or have legal expenses insurance through a home, car or travel policy.

6. Ask questions before you sign up

A short first conversation will tell you a lot about a firm. Useful questions include:

• Who will handle my matter day to day, and who supervises them?
• How many cases like mine have you dealt with recently?
• What are the main stages, and how long is each likely to take?
• How do you prefer to communicate, and how quickly do you usually respond?
• What could make the cost go up, and will you warn me before it does?

7. Read the client care letter

Once you instruct a firm, it should send you a client care letter (or terms of engagement). This sets out who is handling your matter, the costs, and how to complain. Read it carefully, ask about anything unclear, and keep it safe.

What if things go wrong?

If you are unhappy with the service, raise it with the firm first, using its complaints procedure. If that doesn't resolve it, you can usually take the complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. See our guide on how to complain about a solicitor.