How to Hire a Solicitor in the UK

All practising solicitors in England and Wales must be regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). You can verify any solicitor or law firm at sra.org.uk/consumers/find-a-solicitor — enter the solicitor's name, firm name, or SRA number to confirm they are licensed to practise and check whether any disciplinary action has been taken against them.

The SRA register also shows the firm's areas of practice, which helps you confirm the solicitor has relevant experience. A firm that lists conveyancing, family law, and commercial contracts as practice areas is more likely to have genuine expertise across those fields than a sole practitioner who claims to cover every area of law.

Avoid using any person who describes themselves as a "legal adviser" or "legal consultant" without SRA registration — they are not solicitors and do not carry the same professional obligations or indemnity insurance. For immigration matters, also check OISC registration (oisc.gov.uk) if the adviser is not a solicitor.

Many solicitors now offer fixed fees for routine legal work: standard conveyancing, simple wills, uncontested divorces, and landlord section 21 notices. Fixed fees give cost certainty and are often better value than hourly billing for predictable, volume transactions. Always ask at the outset whether a fixed fee is available and what it includes — in conveyancing, for example, disbursements (Land Registry fees, search fees, SDLT) are charged on top of the solicitor's fixed fee.

Hourly billing is more common for complex or unpredictable matters — contested divorces, commercial litigation, complex estate administration. Hourly rates vary widely: junior solicitors at regional firms may charge £150–£200/hour; senior partners at London firms can charge £500–£800/hour or more. Ask for an estimate of total hours at the outset and request written updates if costs are likely to exceed the estimate.

Under the SRA's Transparency Rules, firms must publish their prices online for certain services including residential conveyancing, uncontested probate, and employment tribunal representation. If a firm does not publish prices for these services, it is in breach of SRA rules.

Most solicitors offer an initial consultation, either free or at a reduced rate, to assess your matter and advise whether they can help. Use this meeting to: explain your situation clearly and concisely, understand what the solicitor proposes to do and why, ask about costs and likely timescales, and assess whether you feel comfortable working with them.

Come prepared. Bring any relevant documents — contracts, court papers, letters from the other side — and write down your key questions in advance. The more organised you are, the more productive the consultation will be and the lower your subsequent costs.

After the consultation, the solicitor should send you a client care letter (also called an engagement letter) setting out: the scope of work, the fee structure, who will handle your matter day-to-day, the expected timescale, and the firm's complaints procedure. Do not instruct the solicitor until you have received and understood this letter.

Legal aid — state funding for legal advice and representation — is available in England and Wales for a limited range of matters and is subject to means testing. It is available for: most family law matters involving domestic abuse or child protection, immigration and asylum cases, some housing cases (particularly eviction and homelessness), welfare benefits appeals, and some criminal defence cases.

Legal aid is not available for most personal injury cases (which are handled on a no-win no-fee basis), most employment disputes, boundary disputes, or neighbour disputes. To check whether your matter qualifies, use the Gov.uk legal aid eligibility checker or contact a solicitor who is authorised to carry out legal aid work (shown by the Legal Aid Agency kitemark on their materials).

Even if you do not qualify for legal aid, Citizens Advice and law centre clinics in many areas offer free initial advice. These are worth exploring before instructing a solicitor privately, particularly for housing, debt, and welfare matters.

If you are unhappy with your solicitor's service, start by using the firm's internal complaints procedure, which must be described in your client care letter. Give the firm eight weeks to resolve the complaint before escalating.

If the complaint is not resolved within eight weeks, or if the firm's response is unsatisfactory, you can escalate to the Legal Ombudsman (legalombudsman.org.uk). The Ombudsman is free to use, investigates complaints about poor service (not legal advice itself), and can order the firm to apologise, redo work, or provide a refund of up to £50,000. You must complain to the Ombudsman within one year of the act or omission, or one year of becoming aware of the problem.

For misconduct — dishonesty, misuse of client funds, or serious professional breaches — report directly to the SRA, which has the power to strike solicitors off the roll and prosecute them criminally.