Solicitors in Sutton, London
Finding a solicitor in Sutton
Finding a solicitor is easier when you know where to look. This is a guide to finding and checking a solicitor in Sutton, London. Three official routes can help you search for solicitors Sutton offers:
- The SRA Solicitors Register lets you look up the records of the solicitors and law firms the SRA regulates. The SRA’s “Choosing a solicitor” page tells consumers to check it, because it shows whether someone is a solicitor, where they work and whether the SRA regulates a firm.
- The Law Society’s Find a Solicitor service searches its database of legal professionals. You can search 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. They ask about your problem and finances, so they can work out if you can get legal aid.
However, none of these routes depends on the borough you choose.
Courts and tribunals for Sutton
Some problems end up in court, so check where yours will go. You will find Sutton Social Security and Child Support Tribunal at Copthall House 9 The Pavement Grove Road Sutton SM1 1DA. The Find a court service lists it as handling benefits. It also lists childcare arrangements if you separate from your partner.
Find a Court or Tribunal on GOV.UK gives each court or tribunal’s address, opening times, what it handles and contact details. Therefore, use it to see which court handles a case.
Free and low-cost legal help in Sutton
Cost matters, so it makes sense to look at free options first. Citizens Advice lists its Sutton Office at Civic Offices St Nicholas Way Sutton, Surrey SM1 1EA. However, the Carshalton Office is at 68 Parkgate Road Wallington Surrey SM6 0AH. The Law Centres Network also lists South West London Law Centres (Merton and Sutton).
The official website of Sutton Council (London Borough of Sutton) has pages titled “Benefits and support” and “Cost of living support”.
For national help, start with the GOV.UK “Check if you can get legal aid” service. It asks about your legal problem, income and savings. Based on your answers, it says whether to speak to someone for phone advice or how to find a legal adviser or mediator near you. A legal adviser applies for legal aid for you, since 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. Our guide to free legal advice and legal aid in London adds more detail.
Common reasons to look for a solicitor
Each practice area has its own guide because solicitors handle many different kinds of task:
- Family law covers matters such as divorce and arrangements for children.
- Conveyancing covers buying or selling a home.
- Wills and probate covers making a will and dealing with an estate.
- Employment law covers problems at work.
- Immigration covers questions about visas and the right to stay.
- Criminal defence covers being questioned or charged with an offence.
- Dispute resolution covers disagreements that need settling, for example unpaid money.
- Personal injury covers claims after an accident.
Checking that a solicitor is regulated
Regulation means someone watches over the solicitor. 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 calls its register the definitive impartial source of information about the law firms and people it regulates. As a result, you can confirm a firm’s status before you go further. Our guide to checking a solicitor shows each step to follow.