Finding a lawyer
If you have decided that you want to see a lawyer and get some help with your problem, you should make sure you get the right lawyer for your situation.
Which lawyer is right for you
Most lawyers will have an area of law they specialise in, for example, criminal law, personal injury law or conveyancing. They are called specialist lawyers. Specialist lawyers who have a number of years experience in a particular area of law and who have completed the Law Society of NSW Specialist Accreditation Scheme can call themselves 'accredited specialists'. Other lawyers may not specialise in one area but work in more than one area of law. They are called generalist lawyers and work in a general practice.
Whether you use a specialist lawyer, accredited specialist or a generalist lawyer will depend on your legal issue. For example, if your legal issue involves just one area of law, you may find it useful to use a lawyer who specialises in that area. If your legal issue involves more than one area of law you could use a generalist lawyer.
When selecting a lawyer, you should look for someone who:
- is qualified
- has experience in the area of law that your matter is about
- you feel comfortable communicating with
- is within your budget
- works in a location that you can easily get to, or is close to where you have to go to court.
How to find a lawyer?
Call
LawAccess NSW on
1300 888 529. You will speak to one of our information officers, and they will work out the most appropriate referral for you. This could be a free or low cost legal service or a private solicitor. We can arrange for the Law Society of NSW to send you the details of up to three private solicitors who cover the type of law you need assistance with.
What next?
Once you have found a lawyer, you can call them to make an appointment. You should ask them how much the appointment will cost you. Some private law firms may offer some free time with a lawyer, for example, the first 20 minutes free, or the entire first consultation free. If it is only the first 20 minutes that is free, check the price you will be charged if you go over the initial free period.
For more information, see
Legal costs.
You can then start preparing for your meeting. The better prepared you are, the more you will get out of your appointment.
For more information, see
Preparing to meet your lawyer.
Case study
Case study - Sarah and her criminal law matter
Sarah has to go to court for shoplifting. She needs to get legal advice and possibly someone to represent her at court but she has never used a lawyer before.
Sarah called LawAccess NSW and spoke to an Information Officer about what she could do. The Information Officer organised for the Law Society of NSW to send her the names of three solicitors that live near her and specialise in criminal law.
Sarah has made an appointment to see one of the solicitors next week.