Solicitors are expensive

Wrong. When you or a member of your family or friends last moved house whose bill was biggest - the Solicitors or the Estate Agents?
If you have to deal with the Estate of someone who has died compare the size of the Solicitors bill and the Funeral Directors bill, and
take into account the amount of work that each has done - you will probably be surprised.

Solicitors don't care about their clients

Wrong. Clients are our lifeblood. Without clients we can't earn a living. Satisfied clients come back for more work and recommend the
firm to other people. Dissatisfied clients generate complaints that are time-consuming to deal with and tell other people that they
received poor service. A good firm of solicitors realises that it is good business practice to keep their clients happy and to care about
their needs.

Solicitors don't live in the real world

Wrong. We buy things in shops, we buy cars, we have hobbies. We have families and friends and know how people behave on a day to
day basis - we are normal human beings just like anyone else. Honest.

Solicitors are difficult to talk to

This SHOULD BE Wrong. Of course, we are all individuals and it would be unrealistic to suggest that you will get on well with every
Solicitor that you meet. On the whole, though, you should find that your solicitor is approachable and you will be able to talk to them
normally and naturally . A lot of people are very nervous when they first go to a Solicitor's office - goodness knows why!

Solicitors will confuse me with technical terms

Wrong. Of course there are times when we have to use technical terms, but common sense tells you that we can't advise you properly if
you don't understand what is happening. If there is something that you don't understand, ask your Solicitor to explain it to you in a
different way.

Solicitors are not good value for money

That depends on how you look at things. If a Solicitor who specialises in tax law charges you £1000 for saving £5000 in tax, is that value
for money? If a criminal lawyer charges you the equivalent of a week's wages to keep your driving licence and therefore keep your job, is
that value for money?

Solicitors always try to 'raise the stakes' in any dispute

Wrong. Although there are times when it is necessary for your Solicitor to take a robust stance on your behalf, equally there are times
when a compromise solution in YOUR best interests - and both you and your Solicitor know that this is the case. For example, the old
image of a family lawyer encouraging his client to 'throw mud at' his clients spouse is well and truly dead and buried.

Solicitors' hourly rates are grossly excessive - they must be making a fortune out of my case

This is a common misconception. If you receive a letter from your Solicitors saying that your case will be dealt with by Mr Bloggs and his
hourly charging rate is £x, then you may think that Mr Bloggs gets a £x in his pocket for every hour he spends on your case . This is
wrong - your firm of Solicitors will have various overheads which have to be paid to keep the business going- rent, business rates, gas
and electricity, telephones, support staff wages, books and equipment, etc,etc. All these things have to be paid for before there is any
money available to pay Mr Bloggs. If you take your suit to the dry-cleaners and pay over £5 to the counter assistant, that doesn't increase
his income by £5!

Solicitors drag my case out as long as they can

Wrong. Not only is it in the clients' best interest to deal with their cases expeditiously, it is in the Solicitors' best interests too. The quicker
the case is dealt with, the quicker the Solicitor gets paid. If there is a delay in dealing with your case it will almost always be for a good
reason- eg your Solicitor is waiting for some information from someone else, or it would be premature to settle a personal injury claim
because your medical position hasn't stabilised yet.

Solicitors think they know everything

Wrong. The law is so complex that it would be completely impractical for one person to be an expert on everything. A criminal lawyer will
quite happily accept that he knows very little about company takeovers, or an expert on insolvency law will not pretend to be an expert on
child care law as well unless he is ). It is for this reason that, even if you have always dealt with Mr Smith at Smith, Jones and Co, he
might recommend that Mr Jones deals with a particular problem for you. It doesn't mean that Mr Smith has fallen out with you.

Solicitors will tell me what to do

Wrong. Solicitors can only advise you on what you should do - the decision must be yours.

Solicitors are all the same

Wrong. We are all individuals, we have different personalities. Not all firms of Solicitors are the same either - some specialise in
particular niche areas of the law such as Trademarks and Patents or Prison law, some deal with a very wide spectrum of areas from
Administration of Estate through to Zoo Licensing!

You should choose a firm of Solicitors that you feel comfortable with, and which has staff with the appointed level of expertise. A good
indication of the quality of any firm is to look to see whether it has been accredited by an independent body such as the Legal Services
Commission , or whether any of the staff members are members of the specialist Panels such as the Family Law Panel.

And finally, as you might guess, we'd suggest you consult Mason, Baggott and Garton - we're pretty sure you'll find we're just the sort of
Solicitors you're looking for !