In The Private Patient, the author - P D James - several times includes an assumption that "people of means" will have a permanent solicitor - a family solicitor - who knows their background and previous dealings, and can give a broad range of advice and information.
While this used to be the case - and is a useful means for fictional detectives to find out all about the victim's business - it is becoming less and less true these days. More likely, people choose their lawyer on a task-by-task basis, selecting him or her for particularly relevant skills or specialisation. This is understandable: "horses for courses", as the saying goes
In these times, how is one to choose a good lawyer, accountant, surveyor, etc? I suggest, by personal recommendation - from a family member, friend or other professional adviser (eg: ask your conveyancer to recommend a surveyor; ask your accountant to recommend a commercial lawyer)
Indeed, if you have used one lawyer who specialises in a particular field, they are likely to be ideally placed to recommend you to a lawyer for another type of work. Instead of the lawyer in a large firm feeling obliged to recommend you to colleagues in the same firm, a sole practitioner who specialises in one field, will have no reason to do other than recommend you to the best lawyer available for another type of work, whether they are part of a larger firm or another sole practitioner - as long as the referrer is confident of his or her own value to you in their specialist field
A word of warning: one area where this does not work well is where the referrer is paid by the referree: then they do have a vested interest and their recommendation, while it may still be good, is inevitably slightly tainted. Indeed, some estate agents require their staff to refer buyers and sellers to conveyancers that pay referral fees, whether or not that referral is in the best interests of the buyer or the seller or the transaction as a whole
Showing posts with label accountants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label accountants. Show all posts
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Sunday, 2 January 2011
9 ways to choose a lawyer
Some thoughts on how to choose who should handle your legal work for you - mainly focused on residential conveyancing, but of relevance to other fields as well:
1. Listen to personal recommendations: If you are moving home, speak to friends and family who have moved home recently. If you have a commercial transaction or need other business-related legal help, speak to your accountant. If you are seeking a divorce lawyer, speak to someone who has been though the ordeal. Who would they recommend you use - or recommend you avoid?
2. Don’t be bullied into a particular choice. In residential transactions, many corporate estate agents are incentivised to refer to particular firms in order to be paid referral fees - sometimes, their staff are disciplined if they do not make successful referrals. However, this is benefiting only the agent, not the buyer or the seller. Indeed, where a buyer is referred to an inefficient firm for a referral fee, the agent is not acting in his client's (the seller's) interests at all - the agent has allowed his own interests to prevent him fulfilling his duty to his own client. If an agent suggests using a particular firm, ask, "Why?" then "Do you get a referral fee if we use them?" Similarly, in other legal work, you have the right to choose your own lawyer on the basis of what suits you best.
3. Buy local, where you can. For a house move, it is probably sensible to use someone local to your destination: a genuinely local conveyancer will know so much more about your area than a so called “national” firm, simply as a result of being involved in their local community. For other legal work, choose a firm local to you - either at home or at work - so that it is convenient to meet when necessary - this is particularly important for family work, where face-to-face discussions minimise the stress and complexity of what is an already over-stressful time
4. Let's talk! Linked to this is the question of communication: how and how often do you want to be contacted with progress or non-progress reports? Inevitably, some legal work takes longer than other work, and a daily report of "No response yet" in a court action or negotiation would be over the top, but you might well want a weekly email report. Or you might want instead to be copied in on correspondence, so that you can see what is happening. In a matter with clearly defined milestones - exchange of contracts and completion in a house move, for instance - you might want a phone call to confirm the position, or you may prefer a text, with more detailed information to follow, if needed. Make sure that the lawyer you plan to choose will (within reason) fit in with the way you want to communicate
5. Do online research. Searching for “Conveyancing Tenterden”, for instance, will throw up various conveyancers who are - or pretend to be - in the relevant area. Visit their websites; check that they are, indeed, where they claim to be, and get a feel for how they work and what they offer. The same applies to other fields of law. It is usually the case that lawyers who are genuinely good in their chosen field(s) will make a lot of relevant information available for free on their websites. Be wary of those who claim expertise but fail to demonstrate it
6. Back up that research by phoning - better still, visiting - the firm(s) you have in mind. You can find out a lot about how approachable and client-focussed a firm is by asking a few relevant questions over the phone - still more by how you are treated on an unannounced visit to their office. If they treat you as a nuisance (or worse), you have been warned!
7. Don't choose minimum cost, but maximum value. If you are not sure you can tell the difference, rely on item 1 above: those who have experienced the process can tell you whether they found the service they received good or bad value for money. As a poorer alternative, check to see if the firm you are considering publishes testimonials from satisfied clients - and, ideally, offers a guarantee of satisfaction
8. Talking of cost ... The work you want done may be suitable for an agreed fixed fee, instead of being charged on the basis of the time spent by the lawyer - there is always the suspicion that this rewards inefficiency. In effect, most residential conveyancers charge a fixed fee, in that they should not exceed their original estimate without clearing it with you - but watch out for hidden extras: get confirmation that the estimated fee covers all the expected work, and that you will not be charged extra for (say) completing a transaction less than two weeks after exchange of contracts, as some conveyancers do
9 Choose a small firm. I am biased, but I feel that most larger firms treat individual clients as of relatively low value, on the basis that there are plenty of other fish in the sea: the loss of one or two clients will not seriously impact on them. A small firm - or sole practitioner - knows he or she must cherish every client; not only are those clients of relatively higher individual value, but they will talk about their experience: see item 1 above. Further, the staff in a small firm will be more of a family or group of friends than in a large firm, where they are "personnel" or "human resources"; a small firm is therefore likely to be friendlier - amongst themselves and towords outsiders (We keep a supply of biscuits for our postmen ...) Finally, it is such a struggle for a small firm to fight its way through the regulatory and other processes designed by large organisations with large organisations in mind and no experience of being part of a small organisation, that the small guys must have a very good reason for not joining a big firm and letting it take the strain - that reason is enthusiasm: they tend to love what they do and constanty strive to excel at it.
1. Listen to personal recommendations: If you are moving home, speak to friends and family who have moved home recently. If you have a commercial transaction or need other business-related legal help, speak to your accountant. If you are seeking a divorce lawyer, speak to someone who has been though the ordeal. Who would they recommend you use - or recommend you avoid?
2. Don’t be bullied into a particular choice. In residential transactions, many corporate estate agents are incentivised to refer to particular firms in order to be paid referral fees - sometimes, their staff are disciplined if they do not make successful referrals. However, this is benefiting only the agent, not the buyer or the seller. Indeed, where a buyer is referred to an inefficient firm for a referral fee, the agent is not acting in his client's (the seller's) interests at all - the agent has allowed his own interests to prevent him fulfilling his duty to his own client. If an agent suggests using a particular firm, ask, "Why?" then "Do you get a referral fee if we use them?" Similarly, in other legal work, you have the right to choose your own lawyer on the basis of what suits you best.
3. Buy local, where you can. For a house move, it is probably sensible to use someone local to your destination: a genuinely local conveyancer will know so much more about your area than a so called “national” firm, simply as a result of being involved in their local community. For other legal work, choose a firm local to you - either at home or at work - so that it is convenient to meet when necessary - this is particularly important for family work, where face-to-face discussions minimise the stress and complexity of what is an already over-stressful time
4. Let's talk! Linked to this is the question of communication: how and how often do you want to be contacted with progress or non-progress reports? Inevitably, some legal work takes longer than other work, and a daily report of "No response yet" in a court action or negotiation would be over the top, but you might well want a weekly email report. Or you might want instead to be copied in on correspondence, so that you can see what is happening. In a matter with clearly defined milestones - exchange of contracts and completion in a house move, for instance - you might want a phone call to confirm the position, or you may prefer a text, with more detailed information to follow, if needed. Make sure that the lawyer you plan to choose will (within reason) fit in with the way you want to communicate
5. Do online research. Searching for “Conveyancing Tenterden”, for instance, will throw up various conveyancers who are - or pretend to be - in the relevant area. Visit their websites; check that they are, indeed, where they claim to be, and get a feel for how they work and what they offer. The same applies to other fields of law. It is usually the case that lawyers who are genuinely good in their chosen field(s) will make a lot of relevant information available for free on their websites. Be wary of those who claim expertise but fail to demonstrate it
6. Back up that research by phoning - better still, visiting - the firm(s) you have in mind. You can find out a lot about how approachable and client-focussed a firm is by asking a few relevant questions over the phone - still more by how you are treated on an unannounced visit to their office. If they treat you as a nuisance (or worse), you have been warned!
7. Don't choose minimum cost, but maximum value. If you are not sure you can tell the difference, rely on item 1 above: those who have experienced the process can tell you whether they found the service they received good or bad value for money. As a poorer alternative, check to see if the firm you are considering publishes testimonials from satisfied clients - and, ideally, offers a guarantee of satisfaction
8. Talking of cost ... The work you want done may be suitable for an agreed fixed fee, instead of being charged on the basis of the time spent by the lawyer - there is always the suspicion that this rewards inefficiency. In effect, most residential conveyancers charge a fixed fee, in that they should not exceed their original estimate without clearing it with you - but watch out for hidden extras: get confirmation that the estimated fee covers all the expected work, and that you will not be charged extra for (say) completing a transaction less than two weeks after exchange of contracts, as some conveyancers do
9 Choose a small firm. I am biased, but I feel that most larger firms treat individual clients as of relatively low value, on the basis that there are plenty of other fish in the sea: the loss of one or two clients will not seriously impact on them. A small firm - or sole practitioner - knows he or she must cherish every client; not only are those clients of relatively higher individual value, but they will talk about their experience: see item 1 above. Further, the staff in a small firm will be more of a family or group of friends than in a large firm, where they are "personnel" or "human resources"; a small firm is therefore likely to be friendlier - amongst themselves and towords outsiders (We keep a supply of biscuits for our postmen ...) Finally, it is such a struggle for a small firm to fight its way through the regulatory and other processes designed by large organisations with large organisations in mind and no experience of being part of a small organisation, that the small guys must have a very good reason for not joining a big firm and letting it take the strain - that reason is enthusiasm: they tend to love what they do and constanty strive to excel at it.
Friday, 26 March 2010
Tenterden Pudding Club
Once a month (on the last Friday in each month), various Tenterden-based professionals and business people (solicitors, accountants, estate agents, IFAs, telecom consultants, bank managers, insurance brokers, etc) get together for an informal, single-course lunch and a bit of networking
There is no need to commit to attending (nor to apologise if you cannot attend), but if you are in business in Tenterden and would like to be added to the email reminder list, let me know: send me an email at jn@justinnelson.co.uk
There is no need to commit to attending (nor to apologise if you cannot attend), but if you are in business in Tenterden and would like to be added to the email reminder list, let me know: send me an email at jn@justinnelson.co.uk
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Tenterden accountants get it together
Two firms of accoutants with offices in Tenterden are to merge with effect from April Fools' Day (1 April 2010)
Phipps & Co, who also have offices in Rye, will merge with Gibbons Mannington, who also have offices in Rye (and in Bexhill as well)
As Phipps & Co have only relatively recently returned to Tenterden, re-absorbing the Day Peto & Co practice that had previously spun off from them, this merger seems to indicate that they are actively managing their future - as one would expect from good accountants!
Good luck to them in their latest phase of development
Phipps & Co, who also have offices in Rye, will merge with Gibbons Mannington, who also have offices in Rye (and in Bexhill as well)
As Phipps & Co have only relatively recently returned to Tenterden, re-absorbing the Day Peto & Co practice that had previously spun off from them, this merger seems to indicate that they are actively managing their future - as one would expect from good accountants!
Good luck to them in their latest phase of development
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Tenterden Pudding Club
Not as interesting as the name implies ... the so-called "club" is simply an informal monthly lunchtime meeting of various local business people - mainly solicitors, accountants, estate agents, bank managers, etc
We meet on the last Friday of each month, so the next meeting is on 27 February, at No 75 in Tenterden High Street at 1pm. We usually have a one course meal and a drink, and aim to get away at about 2pm.
If any other local business people would like to join us, there is no need to book in or apologise for absence - just turn up at 1pm - but if you would like to be added to the email reminder list for future meetings, please let me know - I usually confirm the venue about 2 weeks before the next meeting.
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