Solicitors in Stratford and East Ham, Newham
Finding a solicitor in Newham
If you need a solicitor for a legal problem, the hard part is knowing where to start. This page is a guide to finding and checking a solicitor in Newham, London, including if you searched for solicitors Stratford or East Ham. We do not list firms yet, so please use the official routes below instead.
- Search the SRA Solicitors Register. It shows whether somebody is a solicitor, where they work and whether a firm is regulated by the SRA.
- Use the Law Society Find a Solicitor service. It searches by organisation or person, name or SRA ID, location, area of practice and legal issue.
- Try the legal aid adviser search, which finds advisers in England and Wales by postcode. They ask about your problem and finances to work out if you can get legal aid.
None of these depends on the borough you choose, so you can use them whether you live in Newham or nearby. The SRA’s own advice to consumers is to check the register before you choose.
Courts and tribunals for Newham
Some legal problems end up in court, so it helps to know which buildings handle which cases. Stratford Magistrates’ Court is at The Court House, 389-397 High Street, Stratford, London E15 4SB and handles crime. Stratford Housing Centre, 389-397 Stratford High Street, London E15 4SB, handles housing cases.
However, a case does not always go to the court you expect. The Find a Court or Tribunal service on GOV.UK gives each court’s address and opening times. It also lists what each court handles and how to contact it. As a result, it shows you which court deals with your case.
Free and low-cost legal help in Newham
A solicitor is not always the first step, because some help costs nothing. Citizens Advice lists Newham (East End) Citizens Advice Bureau at 123 Star Lane, The Hub, 2nd Floor, London E16 4PZ. However, it offers pre-booked appointments only, so you cannot simply turn up, and its website has more details.
Newham Council has an official website, and its “Advice, support and benefits” page includes money and debt advice through MoneyWorks. For example, that page may suit you if your legal worry is really about debt.
There are national routes too. The GOV.UK “Check if you can get legal aid” service 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. 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.
Common reasons to look for a solicitor
Each of these guides covers one practice area in more detail, so this is only a quick map.
- Family law covers matters such as separation and arrangements for children.
- Conveyancing is the legal work involved in buying or selling a home, and our guide asks do I need a solicitor to buy a house.
- Wills and probate deals with making a will and sorting out a person’s affairs after a death.
- Employment law relates to problems at work, such as a dispute with an employer.
- Immigration covers applications to live, work or study in the UK.
- Criminal defence is for people facing a police investigation or a charge.
- Dispute resolution helps when you disagree with a person or business over money or contracts.
- Personal injury concerns claims after an accident that has hurt you.
Checking that a solicitor is regulated
Regulation means an official body watches over a solicitor’s conduct. Legal Choices says the SRA keeps watch over all solicitors in England and Wales and the firms they work for. It also takes action when solicitors fall below the required standards or act dishonestly.
Because the SRA describes its register as the definitive impartial source of information about the firms and people it regulates, that is where to confirm a firm. Our check-a-solicitor guide walks through the steps.
Questions to ask before you instruct a solicitor
Before you agree to anything, ask how the firm will work out its fees. Ask for the total you should expect, as well as what might change it. Then find out who will do the work. However, a firm may give parts of a matter to different people.
Next, ask how the firm will keep you informed, and how often. A clear answer here saves frustration later. Finally, ask how the firm is regulated and check the answer on the SRA register yourself. Write down what you are told, because a written record is easy to refer back to if a question arises.