In many industries, choosing local services over national or international alternatives is seen as a huge positive.
When it comes to choosing an attorney to represent you, however, there is still an underlying belief that the major firms, with their teams of associates, seemingly endless resources, and major office buildings is the way to go.
The fact is, however, that local law firms are often much more suited to your needs and before you ring up the biggest law firm you can remember from a recent TV Ad, consider if you would be better off using someone in your local area.
The first thing to remember is that you are unlikely to get very far by calling a major firm anyway, expect to spend a significant amount of time talking to middlemen before you are even able to arrange a future meeting with anyone close to an attorney.
Even once you do get in the same call or room as a big city lawyer, their time will likely be very limited due to the high number of clients that you have, and it can often feel as though you are being rushed out the door. Hardly the highly attentive and personal service you are looking for in a potentially extremely stressful and upsetting situation.
On the other hand, a local lawyer will devote far more attention to your needs and is always in the local area if you need a face-to-face chat. They may even answer the phone themselves when you call!
Besides the fact that they will be able to commit much more time and attention to you, here are 5 of the biggest reasons to consider using a local lawyer:
In-depth local Knowledge
Never underestimate the value of a lawyer who has a knowledge of the people and places in the area in which your situation occurs.
From the very first moment that you meet with them and begin to describe what happened, they will be building a mental picture of events in their mind and beginning to formulate a strategy.
Bear in mind that whatever issues you are having, this lawyer will have dealt with many similar or almost identical cases in the past. If you got a speeding ticket, for example, the lawyer will more than likely know the officer who booked you.
More importantly they will know all the local judges and their fellow lawyers who they may need to deal with, as well as court clerks and other important people in the process. Legal matters are not as black and white as you might like to think, and personal relationship can be more important than many realise.
Developing the right strategy
Once a lawyer has the details of your case and has learned which court and judge will hear it, if it goes that far at all, they will begin to build a strategy.
Local knowledge is once again critical to this as certain arguments will go down better with certain judges. Local lawyers will either have heard about how past cases have been resolved in the area, or have been directly involved in them themselves, and this information will provide the foundation of a case that will hopefully lead to a satisfactory outcome.
Convenient location
The easier it is to travel to meet your attorney, and for them to visit you, the better.
You might also choose to visit the site of an incident to give the attorney a better idea of exactly what happened. This can be particularly useful in cases involving personal injury claims.
If you have been involved in an accident at work or anywhere else and require the services of a lawyer but are currently in hospital recovering, a Local Solicitor Glasgow may be able to come in and visit you to discuss matters. It is very unlikely that a lawyer living hundreds of miles away will be able to do so.
Strong local reputation
There is a big difference between national reputation and local reputation.
Just because a law firm is well respected and far more well known on the national or international stage, does not mean that they will command more respect in the local court.
A history of success, and best practice at the local level can offer gain favour in local court cases so you should consider this when thinking about reputation.
Fast Response
When you are looking for a lawyer to represent you on an ongoing basis and deal with routine legal issues such as contracts and the like, don’t forget that they are also there in an emergency.
Should the worst happen and you need emergency legal representation, you need to know that your lawyer will take your call and be by your side as soon as possible. This is something that can only be guaranteed by a local lawyer.