Solicitors in Harrow, London
Finding a solicitor in Harrow
If you are trying to work out who could help with a legal problem, this is a guide to finding and checking a solicitor in Harrow, London. Three official routes are worth knowing, 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 check whether somebody is a solicitor and where they work.
- The Law Society Find a Solicitor service searches its database of legal professionals by organisation or person, name or SRA ID, location, area of practice and legal issue.
- The “Find a legal aid adviser or family mediator” service finds legal aid advisers in England and Wales by postcode.
The SRA’s “Choosing a solicitor” page tells consumers to check the register, so that is a sensible first stop. However, the third route works differently, because those advisers ask about your problem and finances to work out whether you can get legal aid.
Courts and tribunals for Harrow
Some legal problems end up before a court, so it helps to know where it would sit. Harrow Crown Court is at Hailsham Drive, off Headstone Drive, Harrow HA1 4TU, and it handles crime.
That is the only court named for Harrow, although your case may be heard elsewhere. Check the date, time and address on your hearing notice before you set off.
The Find a Court or Tribunal service on GOV.UK lists each court’s address and opening times. It also shows what each court handles and gives its contact details. As a result, you can see which court handles your kind of case. Check the service before you travel or write to anyone else.
Free and low-cost legal help in Harrow
Cost is often the first worry, so start with the local bodies. Citizens Advice Harrow is a local charity that says it provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone who lives in the borough of Harrow. The Law Centres Network lists Harrow Law Centre, and it says Law Centres help people in poverty overcome legal problems.
The London Borough of Harrow also publishes pages titled “Benefits” and “Housing and Property” on its official website. For example, these may help if your question is about money or a home rather than a courtroom.
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.
Common reasons to look for a solicitor
Each practice area has its own page, because the detail differs a great deal from one to the next. These short descriptions only show the kind of task involved.
- 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 steps in when standards slip. 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.
The SRA describes its register as the definitive impartial source of information about the law firms and people it regulates. Therefore, a register check is worth doing before you commit to anyone. Our check a solicitor page explains how.
Questions to ask before you instruct a solicitor
A short conversation before you agree to anything can save confusion later. Ask how the solicitor works out the fees and what else you may pay. Ask for the quote in writing, because that lets you see what it covers. For background, see our guide to solicitor hourly rates in London before you decide.
Ask who will do the work day to day, since the person you meet may not be the person handling your file. Ask how you will be kept informed, and how often. Finally, ask how the firm is regulated, then confirm the answer on the SRA register yourself.