Top tips when choosing your family solicitor

Relationship breakdown represents an exceptionally difficult time in a person's life. Whether the decision to separate is made jointly or by one of the couple, the ramifications of such a decision can have huge consequences on almost every aspect of their lives and that of their children. Issues arise such as what arrangements should be put in place for the children, where is everyone going to live and how can financial affairs be untangled. 

Decisions have to be made that will have long-lasting consequences and all whilst dealing with the emotional effects of coming to terms with the breakdown of the relationship.

There is a wealth of information online about these issues but there is also a lot of misinformation. It is also important to appreciate that due to the discretionary aspects of much of family law, the appropriate outcome is dependent on your family's specific circumstances.

Because of this, anyone contemplating or dealing with a relationship breakdown should seek legal advice at an early stage. A family solicitor should inquire as to your family circumstances and be able to advise on how the relevant laws apply to you and consider how best to address the issues going forwards. 

But how do you choose which solicitor to instruct? These are my top tips.

1) Recommendations

 Sadly, relationship breakdown is something that happens. Around 4 in 10 Marriages end in divorce and this may mean that you know someone or know someone who knows someone who has gone through the process and is happy to recommend their family solicitor to you. At Birkett Long LLP, many of the clients who instruct us have been recommended by our previous clients and even our previous client’s ex-spouses.

2) Reviews

Check out client reviews and testimonials on websites such as reviewsolicitors.com. Our reviews can be found here Birkett Long LLP ReviewSolicitors . Reviews are left by other people who have been clients and can be a helpful indication of the experience had by a broader selection of people.

3) Awards and Accolades

The Legal 500 is a legal directory which assesses and ranks legal firms, highlighting teams within the firms, taking into account things such as their technical ability to undertake complex and innovative work and their reputation. Our family department at Birkett Long LLP has been recognised as a top tier firm for 15 consecutive years. Read what the Legal 500 have to say about us here.

Family: Essex in South East Law firm and lawyer rankings from The Legal 500 United Kingdom - Solicitors guide

4) Associations and Accreditations

When choosing a solicitor it can be very helpful to consider whether the solicitor has any particular associations, qualifications or experience that could help. This information can often be found on the firm's website.

Are they a member of Resolution? – This is an organisation of family law professionals who are committed to a Code of Practice promoting a constructive approach to family issues that considers the needs of the whole family.

Are they Collaboratively Trained? This is a specific type of dispute resolution in which the participants commit to reaching an agreement outside of the court process. If this is a process that you would like to follow, both parties need to instruct a Collaborative Solicitor.

Do they have any specialist accreditations? – These are awards that are provided to solicitors who have demonstrated that they have an outstanding level of skill and expertise in their chosen area.

At Birkett Long LLP, all of our family solicitors are members of Resolution. Four members of the team, Philip Hoddell, Mel Loxley, Francesca Cozens and Shelley Cumbers are accredited collaborative lawyers with membership of the Colchester and Essex Family Solutions Pods.

Six of the team are members of specialist panels:

Karen Johnson – Resolution Accredited Specialist for Complex Financial Remedies and Domestic Abuse.

Francesca Cozens – Advanced Family Law Panel and Resolution Accredited Specialist for Complex Financial Remedies and Children.

Muntech Kaur – Advanced Family Law Panel

Philip Hoddell – Family Law Panel

Lisa Collins – Family Law Panel

Mel Loxley – Family Law Panel

5) Cost

It is of course important to keep in mind the costs involved in seeking legal advice but also the potential costs of not seeking legal advice. The overall costs that you are likely to face will depend upon the complexity of the issues that need to be addressed but also the approach taken to address those issues by both yourself and your ex-partner.

The availability of legal aid has been severely restricted and if this is sought, it will be necessary to instruct a firm of solicitors who hold a Legal Aid Franchise. More information about eligibility for legal aid can be found on the government website Civil Legal Advice (CLA) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

At Birkett Long LLP, we do not hold a legal aid franchise but do aim to work with our clients to best meet their needs and means. Our team members' hourly rates reflect their experience and expertise but we are also happy to tailor our services and to advise clients on an ad-hoc basis. We are also able to assist clients seeking to apply for litigation loans and in relation to applications to the court for orders requiring your ex-partner to pay the costs of litigation.

6) Trust and Rapport

When choosing a solicitor, it is of most importance that you feel able to work with them and can confide in them and trust their advice. They need to be accessible and inspire confidence in their ability to help you. They need to be able to listen and understand your needs and concerns and be able to provide clear and practical advice.

Whilst recommendations, reviews and information as to expertise can be taken into account, I have always found that trust needs to be earned and so ultimately, the decision as to whether you can work with someone might only be possible once you have had an opportunity to speak to them.

At Birkett Long LLP, we offer all potential new clients the opportunity of a free 15-minute no obligation telephone call with our family solicitors in order to discuss your needs and consider how we can help you.

If you would like to speak to a member of our team then request a call back or if you would like to speak to me, I can be contacted on 01206 217305 or by email karen.johnson@birkettlong.co.uk.