"Trick or Treat? Why Free Legal Advice could turn into a Nightmare."

If you're facing a family law issue, such as divorce or separation, you may be tempted to take advantage of a solicitor's offer of a free consultation. However, it's important to understand that a short free consultation may not be enough to get the advice you need, leaving the possibility of some unexpected scares further down the line.

Here are some reasons why opting for a short free consultation with a solicitor could turn out not to be the solution that it first seems:

The solicitor may not have enough time to fully understand your situation and provide you with accurate advice.

A solicitor's free consultation is typically only 30 minutes long. In that time, the solicitor will need to gather information about your case, assess your legal options, and provide you with general advice. This is may not be enough time to get into the nitty-gritty of your case and provide you with tailored advice. This could lead to some nasty future shocks. At Family Law Consultants, all our initial appointments last for up to an hour, which is plenty of time for our Consultants to explore your situation and get a detailed understanding of the specifics of your case.

The solicitor may be trying to sell you their services and may not be objective in their advice.

Solicitor's free consultations are used to generate work. The solicitor may be more interested in selling you their services than providing you with objective advice. This can lead to you making decisions that are not in your best interests. We offer advice during our initial appointments that is designed to place you in a position to make the choices needed about how to progress that are best for you. We will provide options, including clear costs estimates and may even refer you to other professionals if we think they might help you.

You may not be able to ask all the questions you need to in a short consultation.

In a 30-minute consultation, you're unlikely to have time to ask all the questions you need to about your case. This can leave you feeling confused and unsure of what to do next. In your initial consultation with Family Law Consultants, we encourage you to ask questions. When booking your appointment, you may be told to write a list of questions in advance of your consultation, so that we can make sure that we have covered all of the areas that concern you.

You may not be able to get a sense of whether the solicitor is a good fit for you.

It's important to feel comfortable with the solicitor you're working with. You need to be able to trust them and feel confident that they have your best interests at heart. A short free consultation may not be enough time to get to know the solicitor and assess whether they're a good fit for you. These consultations are also often covered by junior members of staff, meaning that it may well be that you end up dealing with a different solicitor when it comes to instructing them. This can also take place the other way round where an experienced solicitor conducts the free consultation and then after instruction your file is passed over to a more junior member of their staff. Here at Family Law Consultants, you will meet with the solicitor that will have conduct of your case. You will have access to their email address and direct dial number to enable you to deal with them directly.

If you're considering taking legal action, it's important to get proper legal advice from a solicitor who has experience in the relevant area of law. A short free consultation is unlikely to get you the advice you need. If you're looking for a solicitor, it's important to do your research and choose one who is qualified and experienced. You should also ask around for recommendations from friends, family, or other professionals. All our Consultants are well qualified, with extensive experience in their speciality of family law. Take some time to read our Google reviews and you will see how highly regarded they are.

Here are some tips for getting the most out of an initial consultation:

Be prepared. Before you meet with the solicitor, gather all of the relevant information about your case. This includes documents, emails, and any other evidence you have, but be mindful of the fact that only the key points can be looked at in initial appointment, so try to keep to key facts.
Be clear about your goals. What do you hope to achieve by meeting with the solicitor? Be sure to communicate this clearly to the solicitor at the start of the consultation.
Ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask the solicitor questions about your case. The solicitor is there to help you, so don't hesitate to get clarification on anything you don't understand.
ake notes. During the consultation, take notes so you can remember what the solicitor says. This will be helpful later when you're making decisions about your case.

If you would like to find out more, contact us on 0333 9205911 to book in a consultation to discuss your needs, or visit our website www.familylawconsultants.co.uk to read more information and complete a call back request.

Written by Joanne Bennett