Solicitors in Greenwich and Woolwich, Greenwich
Finding a solicitor in Greenwich
If you are searching online for solicitors Greenwich or Woolwich, the hard part is knowing which names to trust. This is a guide to finding and checking a solicitor in Greenwich, London. Three official routes help, and none of them depends on the borough you choose.
- Look up the SRA Solicitors Register. It holds the records of the solicitors and law firms the SRA regulates, and it lets you check whether somebody is a solicitor and where they work.
- Try the Law Society Find a Solicitor service. It searches its database of legal professionals by organisation or person, name or SRA ID, location, area of practice and legal issue.
- Use the “Find a legal aid adviser or family mediator” search. It finds legal aid advisers in England and Wales by postcode, and they ask about your problem and finances to work out whether you can get legal aid.
The SRA’s ‘Choosing a solicitor’ page tells consumers to check the Register first. The reason is simple, because the Register shows whether someone is a solicitor and where they work, and whether a firm is regulated by the SRA.
Courts and tribunals for Greenwich
Your matter may reach a court, so it helps to know where the local one is. Woolwich Crown Court is at 2 Belmarsh Road, London SE28 0EY, and it handles crime.
That is the only court this page names. However, other kinds of case go elsewhere, so check where yours belongs before you travel. Find a Court or Tribunal on GOV.UK gives each court or tribunal’s address, opening times, what it handles and contact details, so it shows which court handles a case.
Before any hearing, write down the address and the contact details the service gives you. Keep them with your papers, because you may need them at short notice.
Free and low-cost legal help in Greenwich
Because a solicitor’s fees can be a worry, two organisations are listed for Greenwich. Greenwich (Woolwich) Citizens Advice is listed on Citizens Advice at North Wing, The Gatehouse, Frances Street, SE18 5EF. The Law Centres Network, however, lists Plumstead Community Law Centre.
The Royal Borough of Greenwich also has a page titled “Help with money” on its official website. The Law Centres Network says Law Centres help people in poverty overcome legal problems, and it lists all Law Centres across the UK on one page.
Nationally, GOV.UK has a “Check if you can get legal aid” service. It asks about your legal problem, income and savings. It then tells you whether to speak to someone for phone advice, or how to find a legal adviser or mediator near you. Since you cannot apply on your own, a legal adviser applies for legal aid for you.
If you cannot get legal aid, GOV.UK points to free advice from the Law Centres Network, Citizens Advice and AdviceNow.
Common reasons to look for a solicitor
Each practice area has its own page, so pick the one that matches your task.
- Family law covers tasks such as divorce or arranging childcare after a separation.
- Conveyancing covers buying or selling a home.
- Wills and probate covers making a will or dealing with an estate.
- Employment law covers a problem with an employer or a contract of work.
- Immigration covers questions about visas and the right to stay.
- Criminal defence covers help when you face a criminal charge.
- Dispute resolution covers a disagreement over money or property.
- Personal injury covers a claim after an accident, although this site does not refer, match or sell claims.
Checking that a solicitor is regulated
Regulation means an independent body sets standards and can act when someone does not meet them. Legal Choices says the SRA keeps watch over all solicitors in England and Wales and the firms they work for. It also says the SRA takes action when solicitors fall below the required standards or act dishonestly.
As a result, the register matters. The SRA describes it as the definitive impartial source of information about the law firms and people it regulates. Our check-a-solicitor page walks through the steps.
Questions to ask before you instruct a solicitor
A few questions now can save trouble later, so ask them before you sign. First, ask what the fees will be and which extra charges the firm expects. Then ask who will do the work, since your first contact may not handle your file. Ask for the answers in writing, because a written reply gives you a record.
Next, ask how the firm will keep you informed and how often it will update you. Finally, ask which regulator oversees the firm, then confirm the answer on the SRA register. However, if a problem arises later, our guide on how to complain about a solicitor explains the next step.