How can you tell if a law firm is regulated by the Solicitor's Regulation Authority?

To access the Solicitors Register and look up the records of the solicitors and law firms currently regulated (including family solicitors), you can click this link.

Crucially, this can help you check any solicitors which have been closed down, or people which have been prohibited from practising as solicitors. It is a good first stop to quickly check for the integrity of the solicitor you are looking to instruct and can provide much needed reassurance.

Understanding costs can also be a significant area to look at, prior to instructing a solicitor. The SRA can also help here with this useful page on understanding how to get the best from your solicitor, and what you should expect. Some firms are required to put a breakdown of certain costs on their website, as part of transparency regulations. However this does not apply to all areas of law as individual client cases can sometimes be difficult to standardise. The SRA advise contacting law firms directly to discuss potential prices and services. You can always ask us about costs, or else take a look at the relevant pages on our website for guide prices.

Understanding costs - Link to SRA website guidance page.

The President of the Family Division spoke about his concerns as to exorbitant costs last October, when addressing the Family Law Bar Association. Sir McFarlane, (the ‘head of family courts’ so to speak), expressed ‘very high levels of costs in some cases’ being worrisome and exorbitant, remaining a continuing issue.

You can read more on this topic, including Sir McFarlane’s speech in full, at this link.