2 minute read
Life Hacks
lifestyle Life Hacks
YOUR OPTIONS WHEN YOU NEED HELP WITH A LEGAL MATTER
Advertisement
by AMANDA HAMILTON, CEO, National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP) - nationalparalegals.co.uk
When we have incidents at home, such as a leaky pipe or electrical fault, we call a plumber or electrician, often based on referrals from friends or neighbours. However, with legal matters, most of us are not knowledgeable about whom to turn to.
Individuals generally think of going to a solicitor for help, but where do you find the appropriate person? And can you afford the fees? You can locate solicitors via the register on the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority (SRA) website. Solicitors charge between £250 -£500 per hour.
Free assistance
If you can’t afford a solicitor’s fees, then you should look elsewhere. For example, there could be free legal assistance included with your house or car insurance and it will be a question of whether or not the legal assistance insurance element covers what you need.
Licensed paralegals
Another less costly avenue is to find a licensed paralegal. While paralegals aren’t solicitors and the paralegal sector is not regulated in the same way as solicitors, they are nevertheless trained and educated in law, legal practice and procedures. Search the National Paralegal Register. Generally, they charge an acceptable hourly rate (£30£80 per hour depending on what work is required). Please make sure that you check their credentials to
No more bad hair days
Fed up of wispy, unruly hairs when you have that up-do?
REHAB’s ‘The Hair Tamer’ could be what you’re looking for. Specially designed with anti-frizz gel, the product slicks locks whilst holding down any troublesome flyaways. It’s 100% vegan and cruelty free and is available for £18 from rehabyourhair.com
ensure they are affiliated with an appropriate membership organisation such as NALP (National Association of Licensed Paralegals). Paralegals cannot undertake what are called ‘reserved activities’ e.g. applying for a grant of probate (though they can guide client executors through the process), so do clarify that they can undertake the work you need.
Pro-bono units
In addition, there are ‘pro-bono’ units. These can be found all around the country and are made up of legal professionals (solicitors, barristers, paralegals) who offer their services for free. Citizens Advice Bureaux and legal centres are also included amongst these.
Barristers
Another way to reduce costs if the necessity of going to court is imminent, is to instruct a barrister directly. Barristers are the specialist advocates so they will be able to give you a really good assessment of the merit or otherwise of your case, and they can appear in court if necessary to represent you. Traditionally, barristers could only be instructed by solicitors but now, consumers can go directly to a barrister as long as they are registered as public access or direct access barristers. It is just a question of searching online and finding pages of barristers to suit the circumstances. Barristers generally charge from £150 - £300 per hour for a junior and £350 - £600 per hour for a senior.
Mediation
Before any dispute gets too far, you may like to consider mediation. Professional mediators assist and guide parties to reach a resolution (there may be a fee but it’ll be far less costly than going to court).
