Christmas Closing Dates

Our Maidenhead and Beaconsfield offices will be closing at midday on the 23^rd of December for the Christmas holidays, so if you’re in need of advice or services this month please get in touch within plenty of time! We will re-open at 8.30am on the 5^th of January. If you’re mid-case, don’t worry – we will make sure that any outstanding action will have been sorted before we close, and nothing will happen over the Christmas period that will require further attention.

We hope you have a great festive period and can look back on 2014 with a sense of achievement, whether you’ve made major life changes, moved house, settled financial affairs, or started a whole new chapter of your life. Here’s hoping 2015 brings even better things for all of our clients at Frances Lindsay & Co.

To tide you over our closing dates, here are our ten top tips for using a solicitor for legal services:

1. Don’t make any decisions without us! We have the experience and knowledge necessary to negotiate complicated legal procedures and can take away the stress of going to court or dealing with legal action.
2. Get all your paperwork in order before you get in touch with your solicitor. Having all the admin in place makes things much smoother, quicker, and can help to avoid complications later on.
3. Don’t take legal advice from non-professional people who mean well (or are trying to manipulate you) in the place of a proper meeting with your solicitor. See point 1…
4. Choose fixed-fee services where possible. Knowing what you need to pay at each stage of your case helps enormously when budgeting.
5. Don’t rush things – legal processes take time. Yes, there are ways to fast-track certain services but in most cases it pays to have everything in place before you go charging off. ‘Quickie’ divorces only happen on soap operas!
6. If you’re going through separation and are at least able to be in the same room as your ex, consider an out-of-court alternative such as mediation, collaborative family law or arbitration.
7. If you’re selling or buying a house, make sure the first thing you do is consult your solicitor. We can help the whole transaction run quicker and cheaper if we’re involved from the get-go.
8. Be honest. We’re not here to judge or tell you off! The more open you are about your situation, the better we can help you. And remember that everything you tell us is absolutely confidential.
9. Don’t be overwhelmed by legal processes and jargon – your solicitor is there to make things straightforward, so if you don’t understand something, just ask!
10. And finally… let us take the weight off your shoulders. Come and see us at Frances Lindsay & Co to speak face-to-face with an experienced family lawyer. We’re friendly and down-to-earth and here to help.

See you in 2015!