Woolley & Co has produced the following checklist. Use it to make sure you get the best from your lawyer.
- Find a lawyer who understands you and who you understand.
- Make sure they are commercial and show common sense.
- Tell them what you want to achieve (not just what the problem is), by when and at what maximum cost.
- Get a fixed fee from them - or at worst a written agreement not to go beyond a figure without your written agreement.
- Ask them if they will communicate with you by email (it can save days) - if not ask them why not.
- Get them to do your will and make them, personally, an executor.
- Agree a "case plan" with them - have dates by which things must be done and ask them to agree free meetings (maybe by 'phone) to discuss progress.
- Find out something about them - ask them what they specialise in/look at their website, and ask to speak to their clients.
- Get a copy of their "Client Care Letter" and keep them to the standards they set for example time limits for replying to your enquiries.
- If you need to meet, get them to visit you (at no fee)?why should you leave your business, try to park your car, sit in their reception reading 2 year old copies of Country Life?
- Don't trouble too much about exactly how much their hourly rate is compared to another firm - get them to say how many hours they will take to do the work - often a more experienced, (and hourly expensive) specialist lawyer can do the job in half the time of another.
- Prepare carefully for any meetings - make a note of any questions you want answered, and copy that to them before you meet.
- If they don't seem really interested in your business; haven't asked to see your factory or offices, visited your website or shop, or understand exactly what business you're in and got to know you at least a little - sack them! Now!
