Top 4 Reasons to Seek a Solicitor February 10, 2015Featured, My LifeOff

In our increasingly litigious society, it seems that people seek aid from solicitors for every minor scrape. In most cases, a stumble on the sidewalk doesn’t warrant legal action — but an injurious fall on a poorly built or maintained walkway might.

The thought of hiring a solicitor dredges up many feelings in women across the United Kingdom — anxiety, fatigue, embarrassment — but if you are in a situation that would benefit from legal action, it is imperative to seek counsel. Unless you find representation by a no-win-no-fee firm, you could stand to lose a fortune in fees and costs. Thus, in order to verify your issue truly deserves legal action, you may wish to locate your dispute on this list of top four reasons to seek a solicitor.

Separation and Divorce
As little girls, we daydream endlessly about our stunning white gowns and handsome grooms, but no one is every prepared for the day she files for divorce. Separating from a partner you once loved and cherished is heart-breaking and hard, especially with the complications of shared assets — but the process is significantly easier when you have a skilled solicitor on your side.

Though divorce is a common occurrence in the modern world, the process remains exceedingly complex for couples who have combined their resources completely. Even in the rare event that two partners agree to the parting, the act of separating can be sticky at best. A solicitor will help amicable parties organize the necessary paperwork, and legal aid will keep quarrelsome couples from committing costly mistakes. No matter what species of king you experience, a solicitor is absolutely necessary.

Wills, Testaments, and Trusts
In nearly every fictional account of death, a person’s assets automatically pass to her next of kin: her spouse, her children, her sister, or what have you. However, in real life, this natural inheritance isn’t necessarily guaranteed. It is essential to instate a legal will to protect your loved ones after your demise, or all of your holdings may go to an unintended party, like the government.

Another myth of fictional deaths is that final wishes scribbled on a cocktail napkin have legal power. Proper wills — and any other type of after-death estate planning — require careful consideration of circumstances, including relationships and inheritance taxes. Most solicitors are willing to draft wills even in urgent situations, but it is better to be safe, with a delicately worded document, than sorry.

Conveyancing
Many women don’t feel truly grown-up until they own their first home but buying a home is a particularly arduous process for such a simple concept. Because houses are huge pieces of property, they require quite a bit of paperwork to transfer titles between sellers and buyers.

The period of purchasing a home between the agreeing to the sale and finalizing the change in title is a crucial time when paperwork must be filed perfectly and punctually. While some homebuyers attempt to complete the conveyancing process themselves, it is much safer and more efficient to hire a solicitor for this subtle task. In fact, some mortgage lenders will refuse to fund individuals who have neglected legal aid during conveyancing.

Extraneous Circumstances
Besides these three necessary situations when a solicitor’s assistance is mostly mandatory, almost every other legal controversy may be mitigated by a solicitor’s aid. No matter your circumstance, you should consult with a solicitor if:

You need expert witnesses or detectives. Solicitors may be able to create a case on their own, but more often than not they rely on an extended network of professionals to gather information.

You don’t know what or how to plead. It may seem like a no-brainer that defendants plead “not guilty,” but sometimes it may behoove you to enter another plea; a solicitor can explain the appropriate choice for you.

Your opponent has representation. You may feel confident going head-to-head with a layman, but as soon as you see a solicitor enter the room with your opponent, you are out of your league.

You want to settle out of court. The last thing a solicitor wants is to enter the courtroom — litigation is drawn-out and expensive — so if you are willing to settle and want it over fast, a solicitor will certainly help.

You don’t understand the law. Laws are notoriously complicated, so if you don’t fully grasp your legal situation, hire a solicitor.

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