Solicitors

The Central London Collaborative Forum is a group of solicitors who are dedicated to the principles and practice of Collaborative Family Law. All our members are partners or consultants of Central London law firms and Fellows of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers who have completed training in the collaborative law model. Our goal is for the collaborative process to become the preferred method of resolving cases, including those involving families where assets are substantial or where there is an international dimension.

Collaborative Family law (also called collaborative practice and collaborative law) originally started off as a divorce procedure in which two parties in a dispute agreed that they would not go to court, or threaten to do so.

The Legal Services Ombudsman oversees the handling of complaints about solicitors, barristers, licensed conveyancers and legal executives by the four professional bodies responsible for setting and maintaining standards of conduct and service within the legal profession.

The Law Society's Family Law Protocol

This article provides some basic advice on how to go about choosing a solicitor, including how to prepare for an initial meeting with a solicitor to decide whether they are suitable.

A complaint relates to poor service by your solicitor, for example not doing what you instructed them to do, unreasonable delays, failure to keep you informed, or excessive bills etc. Complaints do not cover negligent advice from your solicitor - if you think your solicitor has given you negligent advice, you should consult another solicitor about the possibility of making a claim for compensation - all firms of solicitors must have insurance to cover compensation claims.

Guidance for barristers published by the Bar Council regarding evidence that has or may have been obtained illegally.

LawWorks Scotland has been established to co-ordinate, develop and encourage the provision of pro bono legal services by solicitors in private practice and in-house and university law schools in Scotland.

The Legal Complaints Service (LCS) investigates complaints about solicitors. We handle over 300 calls a day on a range of legal complaints. We have a dedicated staff of 390 helping you to resolve your complaint.

Mr Pilbrow asked for a solicitor the representation provided was a legal executive unbeknown to Mr Pilbrow after receiving poor service and advice and upon the realisation that he did not get what he asked for he refused to pay the bill the practice sued Mr Pilbrow and lost.

This protocol governs the way a solictor should handle Ancillary Relief cases - particularly the way they should act in the early stages of a case. For example it states that solicitors have a duty to make sure that the costs of your case are not disproportionate to the financial value of the subject matter of the dispute.

Resolution’s 5000 members are family lawyers committed to the constructive resolution of family disputes. Our members follow a Code of Practice that promotes a non-confrontational approach to family problems. Our members encourage solutions that consider the needs of the whole family - and in particular the best interests of children.

This is good-practice guidance prepared by Resolution for the use of solicitors dealing with self-reppers and gives an idea of what one should expect from the average lawyer.  Unfortunately it is neither Law nor enforceable.

This section compares the difference between solicitors, barristers and legal executives. It details what a solicitor does on your behalf during divorce proceedings, and also covers how some solicitors act as mediators or as collaborative lawyers.

A set of guidelines produced by the Solicitors Regulation Authority which governs the way that solictors should conduct themselves when dealing with your case.