Legal accountability counts for everything when the stakes can be life changing

In this technological age, you can create a Will, get hold of a precedent for a legal document or receive legal information without leaving your home. Life in the 21^st century has made legal services more accessible.

But if the issue involves your home, your family, your inheritance, your business or your financial future, there is another question worth asking:

Who is actually accountable to you if something goes wrong?

For most people, the answer is an established, regulated local solicitor who they can meet face to face, speak to directly and build a relationship with.

That is particularly important in a profession where trust matters. Accountability matters when the stakes are high.

Legal advice often involves information that people would not necessarily discuss with friends, colleagues or even family members.

You may need to explain:

• Your financial circumstances

• Your relationship or family problems

• Your plans for your children

• Your health or care arrangements

• Your business affairs

• Your wishes for your estate

• A dispute with a neighbour or family member

• A mistake that has already been made

• Other information you would regard as private and confidential
  
   

That requires trust.

A face-to-face relationship with a solicitor can make it easier to explain and focus on what is actually happening rather than simply answering a series of questions on a website, which may not get to the heart of your concern.

It also gives your solicitor the opportunity to ask questions you may not have thought to ask yourself or suggest other options you may not have considered.

Sometimes the most important part of legal advice is not the answer to the question you originally asked. It is identifying the question you didn't know you needed to ask. That is what expertise and a personal relationship you can trust is all about.
 

Protection when things go wrong

No solicitor can guarantee that a legal matter will go exactly as hoped. However, using a regulated solicitor gives vital protections.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority regulates solicitors and law firms in England and Wales. Regulated firms must comply with professional requirements and have appropriate professional indemnity insurance.

There are also formal complaints and redress arrangements, including the Legal Ombudsman for eligible complaints about legal services.

For certain circumstances involving money held by solicitors, the SRA Compensation Fund can provide additional protection and in any event, solicitors are insured so that you do not lose out.

These safeguards are particularly important when a solicitor is handling substantial sums of money. For example, buying a house or dealing with an estate.

Your solicitor may be responsible for dealing with deposits, mortgage funds and completion money running into hundreds of thousands of pounds. Estate assets by a deceased relative can also be equally substantial.

You want to know that the person handling that money is operating within a regulated professional framework.
 

Face-to-face relationships haven't become obsolete

Technology has changed the way solicitors work. Email, video calls, electronic signatures and AI online portals can all make legal services faster and more convenient. But convenience doesn't necessarily replace personal contact.

There are occasions when sitting across a desk from someone and explaining a problem is simply easier.

*Perhaps you're dealing with a difficult divorce.

*Maybe a parent has died, and you don't know what happens next.

*Perhaps you have discovered a problem with a property.

*What if your business is facing a dispute?

These aren't necessarily situations where you want to disclose personal and confidential information or be passed from one online form to another. You want to be able to say:

“This is what has happened. What should I do?”

And have a solicitor who knows you, understands the circumstances and can explain your options.

A relationship rather than a transaction

One of the advantages of using an established local solicitor is the possibility of developing a relationship over time.

You might initially visit a solicitor to prepare a Will.

Several years later, you may need advice about an elderly parent.

Later still, you may need help dealing with probate.

Your children may eventually need advice about buying their first home.

A solicitor who has already dealt with you and understands your circumstances may be able to provide continuity that a one-off online transaction cannot.

For many families, the relationship with their solicitor can therefore last for decades.

More than 100 years in Staines

Dale & Newbery has been part of the fabric of the Staines community since 1911.

That means many generations of local people have turned to us for legal advice.

Much has changed but one thing has remained remarkably consistent: people want to know that the person advising them can be trusted.

More than a century of serving clients in Staines doesn't mean that every legal matter is the same, or that a local firm is automatically the right choice for every person.

It does, however, provide a history of continuity that is difficult to replicate with a newly established online service.

 

What should you look for when choosing a solicitor?

Whether you choose a local law firm or an online provider, ask yourself four questions:

1. Accountability

Who is responsible for advising me?

Can you identify the solicitor dealing with your matter and contact them if you have concerns?
 

2. Trust

Am I comfortable discussing my circumstances with this person?

Legal advice can involve highly personal information. Trust matters.
 

3. Protection

What happens if something goes wrong?

Check whether the provider is regulated, what professional protections apply and how complaints are handled.
 

4. Personal relationship

Can I speak to someone who understands my circumstances?

For many legal matters, particularly family law, Wills, probate, property disputes and litigation, personal contact can be invaluable.
 

Dale & Newbery

For more than a century, Dale & Newbery has provided legal services to individuals, families and businesses in Staines and the surrounding area.

If you need legal advice, we are here for you. Contact us today.