Advice on legal advice

[Cougar]

I need to obtain legal advice on a target acquisition and on an upcoming joint venture opportunity. For me it is serious stuff and I cannot afford reputationally or financially to get these agreements wrong. However I am a sole trader right now and do not have a cash stockpile to pay very large fees.

Short of looking in the phone book, how can I find legal advice at accessible fee prices that a small business (one person!) can afford? I called one local firm where I know one of the senior solicitors and was told by him that there would be a fee just for working out the costs of providing advice! I do not want the clock to start ticking as soon as a lawyer picks up the phone to see who is calling! Are all lawyers like this?

I work as a chartered tax adviser; my approach is to consult with potential clients to explore their needs, not frighten them off with fee rates before they understand what value I can add. Do any lawyers work like this or should I just swallow hard?

Thanks.
Philip Bates

[Corabar Entertainment]

Being a 'lawyer' in a previous life (commercial and residential property law) I can tell you that not all lawyers work that way, but, one way or another (just like everyone else in business) they have to make up the time, so you will usually find that if they don't make initial charges, their hourly rates will be higher.

One bit of advice - beware of those that quote you low prices. Usually what happens is that the price quoted is for a 'standard' job of its type, and in my experience, there is no such thing as a 'standard' job! When something doesn't proceed straightforwardly (as it always does) the fees will increase substantially, costing you more in the long-run than if you had chosen a solicitor who originally appeared more expensive.

My advice to you would be to look at http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/choosin...asolicitor.law
which is the Law Society's on-line directory. You can put in the particular specialism you are looking for and the area and it will produce a list of solicitors in that area that specialise in what you need. Phone around to discuss your requirements, and see which ones you get on with the most - as with most services, if you can build up a good working relationship, you are far more likely to get the result you are looking for.

Hope this helps.

Angela

[Cougar]

Angela - Thanks for your guidance. I'll put it to use and report back on my experience. Philip