If you think you need a solicitor and you do not either have one already or manage to get recommendations from relatives or friends, the likelihood is that you will do an internet search to find a suitable solicitor.
That was the main finding of research carried out by the German equivalent of Which? Magazine (Stiftung Warentest) and published in its March 2013 edition.
And it’s not an unexpected result.
The Proportion of People Searching the Internet for a Solicitor
What is perhaps surprising is that internet search came quite a distant third (behind “have a solicitor already” and “ask a trusted person to suggest a good solicitor”) with only 15% of respondents giving that as their main research method.
On the other hand, you are probably carrying out an online search if you are reading this …
The Top Criterion in Choosing a Solicitor – Proven Specialist Knowledge
The survey also included a question about which issue people felt was most important when making their choice as to which solicitor to consult.
The clear winner, with 51% of participants making it their number one, was whether the solicitor had qualifications or accreditation which showed the solicitor to be a specialist in that field of law (e.g. personal injury law, family law, employment law).
Other Important Factors
- 16% said that a solicitor being recommended to them by a trusted friend or relative was the crucial factor;
- for 14% the top criterion was geographical proximity – where the solicitor was either in their home town or near their place of work; and
- the possibility of an early face-to-face appointment with their solicitor was the most important thing for 6% of respondents.
How Do You Find an Accredited Specialist Solicitor in Scotland?
The best way to find a solicitor with an interest and with relevant experience in a particular area of law is to use the “Find a Solicitor” search facility on the Law Society of Scotland website.
You can search for a solicitor in your region or town / city or you can search by the type of work you need carried out. This covers everything from help buying or selling a house to a personal injury claim or employment law matter.
We think the Law Society’s search engine could be better designed. The problem is that, if you don’t use the Find a Solicitor search form correctly, there is a risk that you will not maximise the focus of your search. On the Grigor & Young website, we have provided a step-by-step guide to optimum use of the Law Society’s search option for finding a solicitor expert in any field (not just personal injury law). Make sure you don’t miss out on the full benefit of the search facility the Law Society have provided.
Finding a Personal Injury Solicitor in Scotland – An Additional Resource
In addition to the Law Society of Scotland’s Find a Solicitor page, there is also the possibility of searching on the website of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) for members of the organisation who are also APIL-accredited personal injury practitioners.
APIL is a not-for-profit campaign organisation, with about 4,300 member lawyers across the UK, which devotes itself to changing the law, protecting and improving access to justice and widening the services available to victims of personal injury.
Membership of APIL alone is not evidence of expertise, experience or competence and, as a result, from 1999, APIL has operated an accreditation scheme for its members. This is overseen by an independent academic quality council. Accredited members attend regular training to keep their specialist personal injury skills up-to-date.
Peter Brash and Marie Morrison of Grigor & Young / Moray Claims are accredited as Specialists in Personal Injury Law by the Law Society of Scotland and as Senior Litigators by APIL. The Elgin office of Grigor & Young also holds corporate accreditation from APIL.
Contact Us for Help
If you have any questions arising from this blog or need advice in connection with a possible personal injury claim, please get in touch with us. All initial enquiries are free and without obligation.
If we don’t think we are the best people to help you, we will tell you and we will do our best to recommend an alternative contact or course of action.
You can phone us on 01343 544077 or you can send us a Free Online Enquiry. The online enquiry form is a way you can use to ask us to call you back by telephone.
