“Nobody ever really wants to use a lawyer. Not unless they’re buying a house” So what happens when you do need one?
TML Solicitors recently marked 10 years of business with a move to new offices on London Road, Leicester. The award-winning law firm specialises in Commercial Property, Residential Conveyancing, Family Law, Criminal Defence and Wills & Probate.
We caught up with Co-Directors, Dav Mahet and Reena Bhalla, to chat about legal life in Leicester and how they can help.
“If anyone ever finds themselves in need of a lawyer, the best thing to do is simply pick up the phone.”, Dav begins. “Lawyers are often unlike people’s perceptions, and for us at TML we’re very amenable and always happy to have an informal chat to find out what services you might need. In fact, in many cases it may be that you don’t need our services at all, or may require a different specialist, and we’d be very open about that.”
Of course not all law firms offer the same services and some may specialise in different areas, so often it’s about finding the firm that best suits your needs. “I’d say it’s like a Rolls Royce and a Skoda. They both drive but one will certainly offer a nicer, more comfortable journey for you.”
Reena adds, “A good law firm will be honest with clients and if your situation doesn’t fall within their specialist areas they’ll be happy to refer you elsewhere, that’s certainly how we approach things at TML. Our role is to help our clients, many of whom may be going through major life events, so we’ll always ensure we’re best placed to do that.”
Since the pandemic there has been a shift to online meetings and even legal services available to complete on the internet, such as will writing, but when it’s such an important topic, face to face meetings can offer far more peace of mind. Dav adds, “With will writing in particular, I would always deter people from doing things online. A face to face meeting can iron out so many details. There are so many issues you may need to address with a will, but we’re aware many people may not be able to get to our offices, so in this circumstance we’ll also offer a home visit. In fact we’ve also done emergency wills in hospitals for those at end of life. It is one of those legal areas that is advertised with cheaper options available online, but I’d always advise people to spend a little more time and money because that in turn will reduce a lot of potential future heartache.”
At the start of the chat, Dav and Reena both commented that nobody ever really wants to contact a lawyer unless they’re buying a house. Many issues, such as family circumstances or criminal issues, can mean someone is struggling through a very difficult time and may have never used a lawyer before, they just simply see large legal bills ahead of them which is not always the case
“For family matters in particular this can be a difficult time. Many people are used to keeping these matters within the household and may not be used to speaking to someone external about it. We take a personal approach to this at TML and as well as offering a free consultation for family matters we take time to match clients with the lawyer that they bond with most closely. By establishing that trust and bond it enables us to ensure a close working partnership and more comfortable experience for the client.”
Reena adds, “It is certainly the case with family matters that many of these clients are going through an awful lot at the time they come to you. If a client doesn’t feel comfortable with their lawyer they won’t share the level of information needed to do the job as best we can, so it’s our responsibility to establish that relationship and put the client at ease.”
The same can be said of criminal matters. On finding yourself in a difficult situation, in a police cell, or under caution, this could be completely unfamiliar territory for you to navigate. Dav added, “Due to Covid and subsequent delays within the legal system, some of our criminal cases have gone on for years, and as a lawyer you have to understand how harrowing this can be for the person involved. It’s also important to maintain that professional line, where I want them to feel comfortable to talk to me but I am your lawyer who is here to advise you, not a friend, which can be a tricky situation to navigate both lawyer and client-side.”
“As we said at the beginning, we know nobody ever really wants to use a lawyer, but if you are going to use a lawyer, use one who will be on your side.”
Dav and Reena’s top tips when reaching out to a lawyer for the first time:
- Be honest about your circumstances. Your lawyer will not be able to help you if you aren’t fully transparent with them.
- Ensure that you understand the fees from the outset, including exactly what services you get within that fee. All good lawyers will be very transparent with you about this. If they’re not alarm bells should sound.
- Make sure that your chosen lawyer is right for you, and that you’re the right client for the lawyer.
TML Solicitors are located at 87 London Road, Leicester, LE2 0PF. Find out more at www.tml-solicitors.co.uk.
