How to use

Choosing your solicitor
LegalCompare.com lets you find the right solicitor based on locality, specialism and user ratings. We can even appoint a law firm on your behalf, making it easier than ever before for you to find the right solicitor. All solicitors are qualified to practise law. Some solicitors and law firms advise across a wide range of legal areas while others specialise in specific sectors only. Either way, your solicitor should be experienced in the relevant area of law relating to your case. Prices can vary greatly between firms and geographical location so finding out the potential fees is important when choosing your solicitor. However, cost shouldn't be the only consideration, basing your judgement on this alone may mean you miss out on a firm that specialises in the area of law you need with a proven record of success. Location may also be an important factor for you when choosing a law firm. However, it is increasingly common for law firms to have clients across the country and still provide an excellent, personal service so don't let distance put you off.

How is our service free?
Our service is completely free to use. We charge you no fees whatsoever. We may, however, receive a referral fee from the solicitor if they accept your matter. The referral fee we may receive is usually ten percent of the solicitor's fees, excluding VAT and disbursements. In some instances we may receive a flat fee for referrals, such as in personal injury and clinical negligence cases we may receive £350 and in some property matters we may receive £35. We do not receive referral fees for criminal matters or cases which are publicly funded by Legal Aid. If you instruct us to refer a matter to a solicitor we will fully explain any referral fee we may receive when we call you to discuss your matter.

Solicitors Fees Explained
Your solicitor is legally obliged to give you information about the likely cost of your case, how this cost is calculated and whether you are eligible for legal aid. You can base your selection of solicitors by their likely costs on LegalCompare.com or simply instruct us to find a solicitor for you.

The Solicitor's Bill
Your solicitor will give you their bill at the end of your case. This will include the solicitor's fees, VAT and disbursements. Remember, if you feel the bill is too high, you can ask for a detailed account and complain to your solicitor if you are dissatified. Solicitors normally charge using conditional fee agreements, hourly rates, fixed fees or percentage fees. These are explained briefly below...

Conditional Fee Agreement (no win, no fee agreements)
Your solicitor will run your case on the basis that they will not get paid if the case is lost. If the case is lost, you may have to pay the costs of the other side. For this reason it is essential that your solicitor advises you about using any Legal Insurance you may have. If you don't have any, your solicitor should advise you about buying Legal Insurance to protect you from being personally liable for the other side's costs. Conditional Fee Agreements are very common in personal injury matters and some commercial litigation cases.

Contingency Fees
These are very similar to the Conditional Fee Agreement insofar that the solicitor will only be paid if the case is successful. However, the main difference is that the costs will not be paid by the other side but the solicitor will deduct a percentage from your damages at the conclusion of your case. At present, the use of contingency fees is only permitted in a limited number of legal issues such as employment law and non-contentious matters.

Hourly Rates
Depending on the type of case some solicitors will charge an hourly rate for their services. The solicitor must give you an estimate of costs at the beginning of the case, normally at or after your initial discussion, and even request a payment of costs on account depending on the nature of the client, the case and the level of complexity. It is entirely normal for the hourly rate to be dependent on the level of experience of the solicitor; for example, a newly qualified solicitor will have a much lower hourly rate than a senior solicitor.

Fixed Fees
Fixed fees are becoming increasingly common as law firms compete for business and consumers expect predictability. The advantage of fixed fees is the certainty of knowing at the outset how much your case will cost to run.

Disbursements
Disbursements are the expenses the solicitor has paid on your behalf – examples include Court Fees and Barrister's Fees. In some cases your solicitor will request payment of disbursements as the case progresses, whilst others will be happy to defer this payment until the case conclusion and, if successful, recover these costs from the other side.
Remember, your solicitor must keep you informed about the costs throughout the case. What you can expect from your Solicitor
Your solicitor must be able to communicate with you in plain English! You need to be able to understand the information and advice you are given so don't be afraid to ask any questions that will enable you to fully understand what is happening throughout your case. It is your solicitor's job to explain the issues in a way that you can fully understand all aspects of your case.
Your solicitor must comply with his/her professional rules and standards as prescribed by the Solicitors' Regulation Authority (SRA). You should expect your solicitor to advise and explain how they intend dealing with your legal problem, to provide you with information about costs, the expected timescale of your case, to provide you with regular updates and developments and who to make a complaint to if you are unhappy with the service you receive.

What to do if you are unhappy with your Solicitor
On rare occasions you may be unhappy with your solicitor, the way your case has been handled or the service you have received. It is advisable that you try to resolve the complaint with your solicitor in the first instance. Every law firm has a written complaints procedure detailing who to contact and the way in which your complaint will be investigated.
If you are unable to resolve your complaint directly you can contact the Legal Complaints Service (LCS). They will advise you whether there are grounds for a complaint and how to proceed. You can contact the LSC at any stage of your grievance but no later than six months after the conclusion of your case.