SHL/ Solicitor- how do I find one?

[Corroboree]

It's becoming crunch time. He's a "nice guy" but as soon as I say I want a divorce, I know he is going to be bitter and nasty.

Our finances are quite complex, so I need a really sound solicitor; he earns four times what I do, but entirely facilitated by me.

No-one I know is divorced. I've no idea where to start looking, and I can't spend hours traipsing round different solicitors, as I work FT.

I'd appreciate any advice (and am in central England)

Thank you

Try Resolution's search facility.

www.resolution.org.uk/landing-two-cols.asp?page_id=21

I second Resolution.

Thank you both. Is there any sort of information about how good they are, or is that a given (are their certain standards necessary to become part of resolution?). I'm just earybof ringing up random people (that charge for phone calls!)

There's never a guarantee, I fear, I've known pretty poor Resolution members, and even accredited specialists. But It's a start.

A good solicitor should be OK to make time for a chat on the phone, I like to try to talk to prospective clients if I can. Weeds out the odd pointless case (people who really just need 5 minutes information, or signposting for legal aid) and establishes a baseline of like/dislike, so people can decide to go elsewhere, or feel I am a fit for them.

Phone for an appointment, ask if you can talk to the lawyer, ask for information on costs, and if the response seems unhelpful or brusque, maybe look elsewhere.

Check who you are offered online (find a solicitor on the law society website will tell you how experienced they are, and whether they do just family, or half a dozen areas, in which case rethink.)

Ultimately even great solicitors can have off days, and client relationships that just don't work. It's worth getting a firm with more than 1 family solicitor, because then there is usually backup, and the possibility of a switch: I have often traded clients with colleagues where the relationship with one of us just wasn't good. With the client's agreement, of course! Sometimes It's good for your colleagues to be a bit chalk and cheese.

Most solicitors offer an initial free consultation (I had three, to try to work out who to use). Mine varied from 30 mins to 2 hours. I think the good thing about Resolution is that the solicitors are, in principle at least, committed to trying to find amicable ways for couples to sort out their finances, rather than going down the adversarial route - which is distressing and financially ruinous. Though anything to do with solicitors is financially ruinous, really, which is why we ended up not using them...

"Most" solicitors really don't, unless they are desperate for business.

Some do, but it is meant to be about getting clients in, not giving free advice. There are whole webinars about how not to give free advice, and just market. When my firm did them, we did it over the phone, to weed time wasters, signpost to legal aid, and try to hook decent work.

Anyway, OP doesn't want to waste her time on free consultations.

OP if you have the cash, Mills & Reeve have a great rep, but they are top tier so very pricey I would think.

Not my experience, MrsBert - though obviously they offer it in the hope of reeling in a new client. Maybe it depends on where you live. I certainly found it useful to get an idea of what XH and I might end up with. I then used one of them until the money ran out!