Solicitors in Hackney, London
Finding a solicitor in Hackney
If you are trying to work out who to trust with a legal problem, this is a guide to finding and checking a solicitor in Hackney, London. Three official routes can help, and none of them depends on the borough you choose.
- The SRA Solicitors Register lets you look up the records of solicitors and law firms the SRA regulates, so you can see whether somebody is a solicitor and where they work.
- The Law Society Find a Solicitor service searches its database by organisation or person, name or SRA ID, location, area of practice and legal issue.
- The legal aid adviser search finds advisers in England and Wales by postcode.
The SRA tells consumers to check the register, so it is a sensible first stop. However, the third route works differently, since those advisers ask about your problem and finances to work out whether you can get legal aid.
Courts and tribunals for Hackney
This page names no single court for Hackney, so check before you plan a visit. However, the Find a Court or Tribunal service on GOV.UK shows which court to use. It gives each court or tribunal’s address, opening times, what it handles and contact details. Therefore, note your case type and keep those details to hand when you search.
However, the service is only as useful as the detail you bring to it. Therefore, write down what your case is about before you search, because that tells you which court or tribunal to look for.
Free and low-cost legal help in Hackney
Hackney Citizens Advice is listed on Citizens Advice at 300 Mare Street, Hackney, London E8 1HE. The Law Centres Network lists Hackney Community Law Centre, and says Law Centres help people in poverty overcome legal problems. Hackney Council also has a page titled “Council Tax and benefits” on its official website.
On a national level, GOV.UK’s “Check if you can get legal aid” 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 a legal adviser applies for legal aid for you, you cannot apply on your own. If you cannot get legal aid, GOV.UK points to free advice from the Law Centres Network, Citizens Advice and AdviceNow. For more on this, read our guide to free legal advice and legal aid in London.
Common reasons to look for a solicitor
Each practice area has its own page, because the work differs a great deal from one to the next.
- Family law covers tasks such as arrangements after a relationship ends.
- Conveyancing is the legal work involved in buying or selling a home.
- Wills and probate covers making a will and dealing with an estate.
- Employment law relates to problems and agreements at work.
- Immigration covers applications to live, work or study in the UK.
- Criminal defence is about help when facing a criminal investigation or charge.
- Dispute resolution covers settling disagreements, for example over money or contracts.
- Personal injury relates to claims after an accident or injury.
Checking that a solicitor is regulated
Regulation means an official body watches over solicitors and acts when standards slip. Legal Choices says the SRA watches over all solicitors in England and Wales and their firms, and acts when solicitors fall below the required standards or act dishonestly. The SRA describes its register as the definitive impartial source of information about the law firms and people it regulates. Because of that, a register check is worth doing before you commit, and our check a solicitor page explains how.