1: A “good lawyer” is a lawyer experienced in providing legal advice in the area of law you require, who also has a good reputation. For example, you consult a lawyer, with a good reputation and experience in family law, if you are going through a divorce. Your search should include terms like: “family lawyer Ballina”. For a drink driving, drug possession, assault, AVO, you might search “local court lawyer Grafton”
2: Law Society search tool: the NSW Law Society is the administrative body that oversees all lawyers in NSW. The Law Society has a search engine on their website that will assist you to find a lawyer in the area of law you require. Here is a link to the relevant page on the Law Society website: https://www.lawsociety.com.au/community/findingalawyer/findalawyersearch/index.htm
3: “Accredited Specialists”: There are some areas of law where a lawyer can undertake extra training, and become a Law Society Accredited Specialist. Some of these areas are: family law, property law, employment law, immigration law, and many more. Lawyers can only use the word “specialist” in their marketing and website if they are Accredited Specialists in that area of law. Here is a link to the page of Accredited Specialty areas: https://www.lawsociety.com.au/community/findingalawyer/SpecialistAccreditationScheme/index.htm
There is no specialist accreditation available in some areas of law (such as local court lawyers). We are experts in local court matters, but we are not allowed to use the word “specialist” because there is no specialist accreditation available from the Law Society. If you see the word “specialist” in a lawyer’s advertisement or website, you can assume that lawyer is an Accredited Specialist.
4: Word-of-mouth: when it comes to assessing the reputation of a lawyer, word-of-mouth is the best resource. Find out from someone who has instructed that lawyer what they think of that lawyer’s work; or ask the lawyer about their successes in your type of matter/issue.
5: Compare: using different search terms, you should compare various lawyers. We suggest you search using the area of law in which you need advice (e.g. “employment law”) and the closest major towns/cities (e.g. “employment law Byron bay”, then try “unfair dismissal Ballina”). Compare the websites, call the lawyer, narrow down your options based on their experience, reputation, fees and how they make you feel. Some lawyers can feel intimidating, or judgemental. If you don’t feel comfortable with the lawyer, then keep looking until you find a lawyer who makes you feel comfortable.
6: Often lawyers will give you a free initial appointment. Consider asking if you can meet with your potential lawyer, before deciding.
If you are facing a Local Court Appearance in the Northern NSW region and need a good lawyer Contact us . We are experts in all local court matters.
