How do locals know if using Unified Lawyers for family matters offering a free consultation is a good idea?

How much emphasis is placed on the notion of ‘free’ and what concessions and attachments will come with that provision?

Here we will examine when firms shortchange constituents to waste the entire exercise.


Enforces Quick Consultation Time

Family lawyers in Sydney offering a free consultation should have a policy where constituents can outline the nature of their case and discuss potential avenues that can improve their position. That is a talk that should not be shorter than 45 minutes. If the firm decides to limit these discussions to 20 or 30 minutes simply because they are free of charge, then they are only engaging it the practice for cosmetic purposes and not substantive ones.


Lacks Any Interest or Engagement

When family lawyers in Sydney offering a free consultation come across as though they are doing the client a favour, they are wasting the entire exercise. If the firm has taken the courtesy of opening their doors to the members of the Sydney community, they have to be responsible for their own level of interest and engagement. It will be indicative of an organisation who is thinking about their bottom line rather than acting in the interests of people who need help.


Cannot Offer Solutions or Guidelines

Family lawyers in Sydney offering a free consultation won’t be able to solve a case within the span of an appointment. As the talks proceed they will get an idea about the position of each spouse, what moves have been made, what papers have been signed and what steps are hoped to be taken by the client. If these solicitors can only repeat the events of what has occurred without providing solutions for what should take place, they are of no use to anyone. Citizens in these instances require guidance from professionals, even if that arrives in the form of a referral to another party to manage the situation.


Only Operating Within Small Legal Niche

lawyer-client shaking hands
lawyer-client shaking hands

The domain of family law encompasses a number of different facets that fall under the one banner. From divorce settlements and child custody to disputes over assets and possessions to debt and issuing of restraining orders, there is a myriad of topics that firms will cover. For family lawyers in Sydney offering a free consultation, they need to be able to branch out into all of these areas in order to do the Sydney community justice. For those that are not forthcoming about operating within a small niche of the industry, they are wasting the entire exercise. Some advice from certain specialists will be valuable but for solicitors working within the field of child custody, they won’t be the best outlets when discussing property settlements.


Tries To Include An Obligation For Further Counsel

Given that family lawyers in Sydney offering a free consultation are not in a position to receive any fees, they can attempt to lure clients in for further counsel. This would be a cynical ploy that attempts to leverage their own financial position. If the individual on their own comes to the decision that their advice is sound and they have a good grasp of the case, then they should be allowed to sign an agreement in their own time. It is in the event that they are pressured to feel obliged to sign a contract with a representative during the consultation where serious ethical problems arise.


Summary

In many of these instances, the family lawyers in Sydney offering a free consultation are only doing so because it is good PR for the brand. They want all of the benefits that comes with the community service but none of the actual responsibility that arrives with the service itself. Avoid these outlets where possible and utilise a practice that provides value for the time invested.