What should you look for in an Injury Solicitor?
Firstly, Porterwood Law: Previously PHC Preston is not a CMC, it’s a Law firm. A CMC is a Claims Management Company. There is a difference between the two categories of legal service. One is run by solicitor/lawyers and regulated. The other is run by business folk and regulated by a different body.
Why is this information relevant? Well, a CMC finds potential claimants (people with possible claims) and passes them to solicitors or other CMC’s or handles them themselves (the claim). Like all businesses, including law firms, there is a commercial aspect involved to this.
Sometimes it’s not easy to tell the difference between a law firm and a CMC. However, some well-known CMC’s advertise on the telly. Law firms find their own claimants, which cuts out the introducer (the referrer, or middle-man). If you do decide to let a CMC handle your claim then you can insist on full transparency.
So make your own conclusions when you are looking for a professional firm. Do you want or need a law practice or a CMC to look after your compensation claim?
What else should you bear in mind when considering a law firm? Do your due diligence:
- You can check The Law Society website to make sure a law firm is registered properly. Each firm has a public profile naming practising solicitors and also tells you how long they’ve been practising law.
- It’s usually a good idea to find a lawyer (we mean solicitor) that has the experience, preferably decades. An experienced lawyer will have come across several different cases and will have confidence.
- Check online if there are any pending legal judgements against a firm or if there have been problems in the past. You’ll normally find media outlets that will report on this. A good website for this is called Legal Futures.
- The best law firms offer a free consultation. They do this to get an understanding of your case. They can then inform you if you have a strong case to claim compensation for injury. They’ll tend to offer No Win No Fee (a conditional fee agreement)
- Your own personal circumstances play a part in your decision to choose a lawyer. Some cases don’t require you to have a local solicitor as your lawyer will access all your medical records and case information. You may have a preference for a local personal injury solicitor or not – it’s up to you.
Ultimately the decision rest with you – but you are under no obligation with any law firm even after you have had a consultation. Firms are regulated by powerful independent bodies which ultimately protect you and your rights.
Good luck!