Why use a Lawyer? - Melbourne

Where does someone turn to when they have a non-routine legal matter that requires attention. For many, this may involve contacting the “family solicitor” who has traditionally dealt with the family’s basic legal needs, such as for wills and conveyancing. Those solicitors will not readily refuse to act, even if the legal problem that needs resolving is beyond their area of expertise. This may sometimes have disastrous results for the client as a result of the client having given insufficient thought to retaining a lawyer who has greater expertise in the area of law where you have your problem.

It would usually be advisable to make some preliminary enquiries of the solicitor you are dealing with as to their experience with your type of matter, or to conduct some research on the web.

Many solicitors operate a cross-referral system which involves them taking on work for which they are suitably qualified and referring work to others as appropriate. Nominate a Lawyer regularly accepts work from clients and other solicitors as we offer experience, via our referral network, in other legal areas in which they do not practice.

Once you have a list of solicitors to choose from, what next? There may be a number of considerations, such as availability, convenience and fees. Surely the consideration of highest importance is the qualifications and experience of the solicitor for the problem at hand. In most fields of endeavour, there has been a growth in specialisation for whatever reason and there is a greater awareness by the public at large that the general practitioner can no longer satisfy their needs by meeting the requisite standards of professional engagement.

The network of solicitors within the Nominate a Lawyer network consists of a number of solicitors who are competent and have many years of experience working in that field. The Nominate a Lawyer service is able to refer you to a lawyer who can provide the best possible advice from experience, at a competitive price.

Retaining a more experienced lawyer inevitably comes at a price. If you need an operation you will no doubt want the best surgeon for the job. Most people would not disagree with this, even though this will cost more, as the patient needs to achieve the best possible outcome. In relation to legal problems, most people are aware that a senior barrister (formerly known as a QC but more commonly now as S.C.) will charge significantly more than a junior barrister, but when your case is that important there is no doubt you will want the best possible representation.

This applies equally to solicitors and generally speaking the older they are the greater their experience and competence. In these cases professional fees should be viewed as an investment rather than a cost as there is a greater certainty of outcome. Again, the “no-frills” brand in a supermarket never seems to be as good as the dearer branded product. What clients need is competence, quality, skill, qualifications and experience delivered to them by practicing professionals who are driven by high service standards.

While there will always be those disputes that are intractable and a decision by a judge is the only option, a lawyer with a greater level of expertise will usually be in a better position to appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of a case and enter meaningful settlement negotiations or perhaps avoid litigation altogether. As a consequence, although you will pay more for this service, the result has only been achieved due to the greater skill, knowledge and expertise of your solicitor. Thus, using a better qualified lawyer is an exercise in sound judgment from an economic as well as a legal perspective, and to act otherwise amounts to cutting corners and false economy. After all you only get what you pay for.

Get the competitive advantage by submitting your case to the Nominate a Lawyer network and have one of our qualified Lawyers attend to your legal requirements.