Getting the best value
At Corcoran French, we provide you with cost-effective solutions and peace of mind legal advice. To help us provide you with the best value there are some things you can do to help.
Get advice sooner rather than later
People often delay consulting their lawyer until the problem gets serious. By then it may be too late to avoid a real crisis.
Even if you are unsure whether you have a legal problem, a few minutes discussion with us may save you months, or years, of worry.
Write it down
Putting your problem on paper will help you. Write a timeline that documents the series of events:
“This happened on the 1st at 4.00pm. I received letter from XXX on the 5th. I sent this on the 10th”.
Make sure you have collected any important documents that we may need, together with any notes you’ve made. Give this information and any copy of relevant documents to us in advance of our meeting, if possible, so we can read it beforehand and familiarise ourselves with your situation. This is much quicker for us (and less expensive for you) and it will help to ‘tell your story’ during an appointment.
Be prepared
If you have questions to ask us, try to work them out clearly and write them down before our meeting.
Be concise
We will dedicate as much time and effort as you need to achieve the best possible result for you. Remember though, that for most matters, the fee we will charge you depends mainly on the urgency, value to you and the time involved.
Respond promptly
Respond as soon as you can to any of our correspondence with you. There may be legal time limits and delay may seriously disadvantage your position. If you are unable to reply immediately, please tell us.
Can it wait?
You may think of questions to ask or information that you should pass on. Before you pick up the phone, reflect for a moment whether this needs immediate action or whether it can wait until the next time you see us. If it really needs action now or if there is a crisis or serious problem, then of course let us know straight away.
Please remember, frequent phone calls to us may add to your cost. If your query can wait, it may be better to write it down (so you don’t forget it) and raise it when you next see us or, better still, email us.
Ask for an estimate
For most straightforward transactions, we should be able to give you an estimate or a price band of the cost. For long or complicated legal assignments, it may be more difficult to give you an accurate estimate. Our Terms of Business provide more information on how we charge.