How to choose a lawyer or legal service
Lawyers must be admitted or licensed before they advise or represent you, and the rules differ between England and Wales, individual US states and the UAE. Here is what to check, how legal fees work and where complaints go.
- Markets
- US · UK · UAE & GCC
- Criteria
- 5 (v1.0)
- Official sources
- 14
- Reviewed
- October 2026
What lawyers do
Legal services run from a one-off consultation or a will to court representation, conveyancing, immigration applications and commercial contracts. In every market covered here, the right to call yourself a lawyer, appear in court or carry out certain work is controlled by law, so the first question is always whether the person is admitted and currently entitled to act. The second is who will actually do the work: a qualified lawyer, a trainee, a paralegal or an unregulated adviser. Titles vary by jurisdiction. England and Wales separates solicitors from barristers, US states admit attorneys one state at a time, and the UAE keeps separate rolls for lawyers and legal consultants.
Fees, conflicts and communication cause most friction between clients and law firms. A sound engagement starts with a written agreement naming the work, the people doing it, the charging basis and how to complain. We weight licensing heavily in this category because an unlicensed adviser leaves you without a regulator, a discipline process or an ombudsman to turn to. Customer reviews say a lot about responsiveness and clarity, but they cannot show whether the legal advice itself was sound, so we treat them as one signal among several.
Advice before a claim, negotiation, court or tribunal representation and enforcing judgments, usually charged by time or by stage of the case.
Checking title, contracts and searches when buying, selling or remortgaging, often quoted as a fixed fee with disbursements listed separately.
Drafting wills and powers of attorney, then administering an estate after a death, including banks, tax and beneficiaries.
Divorce, financial settlements, child arrangements and prenuptial agreements, where cost depends heavily on how far the other side cooperates.
Advice for employees or employers on dismissals, settlement agreements, discrimination claims and employment contracts.
Visa, residence and citizenship applications and appeals, where a weak application can cost both the fee and the chance itself.
Company formation, shareholder agreements, commercial contracts, intellectual property and regulatory advice for firms of any size.
Representation at police interviews, in court and on appeal, including summary road traffic offences.
What to check in your market
Rules differ by country. Choose a market to see the licences, registers and complaint routes that apply there.
United States
Lawyers in the United States are licensed by individual states, so a clean record in one state says nothing about standing in another. State bodies publish their own lookups: the State Bar of California's Attorney Search shows licence status and discipline, the State Bar of Texas directory lists attorneys licensed in Texas, and the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission lists who is authorised to practise. California also requires written fee agreements for contingency matters and for most other matters under Business and Professions Code sections 6147 and 6148, with limited exceptions such as emergencies and corporate clients.
Look up a California attorney's licence status and any public discipline on the State Bar of California's Attorney Search before you sign.
apps.calbar.ca.govFor a Texas matter, confirm the attorney appears in the State Bar of Texas Find A Lawyer directory, which also shows board certification areas.
texasbar.comIn Illinois, use the ARDC Lawyer Search to confirm current authorisation to practise and review the list of recent status changes.
iardc.orgIn California, ask for a signed fee agreement covering the basis of charges, the services and each side's responsibilities, and keep your copy.
calbar.ca.gov
Misconduct such as dishonesty or misuse of client money goes to the state bar's discipline system. Fee disputes follow a separate route: in California, most fee arbitrations run through local county bar programmes, and once a client requests arbitration under the Mandatory Fee Arbitration program the attorney must take part. Mediation needs both sides to agree.
United Kingdom
In England and Wales, solicitors and most law firms are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), and barristers by the Bar Standards Board (BSB). Under the SRA Transparency Rules, current version in force from 11 April 2025, firms that publicly offer services such as residential conveyancing, uncontested probate, immigration applications or employment tribunal claims must publish the total or average cost, the charging basis and who does the work. Firm websites must also display the SRA number and digital badge and set out the complaints procedure. Scotland runs a separate system.
Search the SRA Solicitors Register for both the solicitor and the firm, and match the SRA number shown on the website and letterhead.
sra.org.ukFor a barrister, check the Barristers' Register for practising status, the legal services offered and any disciplinary findings.
barstandardsboard.org.ukFind the firm's published price and service information for your type of matter and compare it line by line with your written quote.
sra.org.ukRead the complaints procedure on the firm's website, which must explain how and when you can go to the Legal Ombudsman and the SRA.
sra.org.uk
Raise poor service, delay or a disputed bill with the firm first; it has up to eight weeks to put things right. After that, or after an unsatisfactory final response, the Legal Ombudsman can investigate, and a final decision you accept binds the provider. Report dishonesty or misuse of client money to the SRA. In Scotland, the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission is the first point of contact.
UAE & GCC
In the UAE, Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2022 reserves the legal profession, including legal opinions and contract drafting, to lawyers licensed in the State. Courts and public prosecution accept representation only from lawyers on the Ministry of Justice roll of practising lawyers, and legal researchers and consultants inside firms may not plead. Emirates with local judicial authorities may regulate the profession under their own legislation, which is why Dubai and Abu Dhabi keep their own lawyer registers. The DIFC Courts keep a separate register of practitioners, governed by DIFC Courts Order No. 1 of 2025.
For a Dubai lawyer, use the Legal Affairs Department of Dubai's free search to confirm the advocate or legal consultant and the firm are registered.
legal.dubai.gov.aeFor a case in Abu Dhabi, run the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department's Search for Lawyer before signing any power of attorney.
adjd.gov.aeIf your dispute will be heard in the DIFC Courts, check the court's list of registered practitioners for the person who will appear.
difccourts.aeInsist on a written retainer agreement before work starts, stating the fees, payment method and tasks, as the federal decree-law requires.
moj.gov.ae
The Ministry of Justice's Lawyers and Legal Consultants Affairs Committee receives and investigates complaints about lawyers on the federal rolls. In a fee dispute, the court hearing the case can reduce agreed fees it finds excessive for the effort and benefit, at the client's request. For lawyers registered locally, contact the Legal Affairs Department of Dubai or the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.
How we assess lawyers
These are the editorial criteria behind every lawyer we rank, with the weight each carries in the editorial score. The editorial score makes up 60% of a ranking and adjusted customer ratings the other 40%, as set out in how we rank.
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at | Evidence we accept |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admission and good standing | 30% | Whether each lawyer on the matter is admitted where the work is done and free of current sanctions. Weighted highest because unlicensed advice removes the regulator, discipline and ombudsman routes. | Entries on the SRA, BSB, state bar, UAE Ministry of Justice or emirate registers, checked and dated at assessment. |
| Fee and scope clarity | 20% | How clearly the firm publishes or quotes its charging basis, likely disbursements, who does the work and the complaints route before you commit. | Published price pages, sample engagement letters or retainer agreements, and complaints procedures available before instruction. |
| Expertise in the matter type | 20% | Depth of experience in the specific area, such as conveyancing or employment, rather than general claims about being a full-service firm. | Official specialist certifications, years in the practice area, supervision arrangements and reported cases, verified against official listings where they exist. |
| Communication and responsiveness | 15% | How promptly and plainly the firm explains options, progress, risks and changes in cost, and whether a named person is reachable. | Customer reviews about communication, published service standards and response times, kept separate from the editorial score. |
| Conduct and complaint record | 15% | Whether the firm or its lawyers have public disciplinary findings, ombudsman decisions or regulator action, and how the firm responded. | Disciplinary entries on official registers, published ombudsman decisions where available, and the firm's account of any findings. |
Before you hire
Questions to ask
- Who will handle my matter day to day, and what is their qualification and admission status?
- Is this a fixed fee, an hourly rate or a percentage, and which disbursements should I expect?
- Have you checked for any conflict of interest with the other party or related businesses?
- What outcomes are realistic, and what would push the cost beyond your estimate?
- How will you update me, and how quickly do you usually reply to messages?
- What is your complaints procedure, and which ombudsman or regulator can I turn to afterwards?
- Are you entitled to appear in the court or tribunal that will hear my case?
Red flags
- No register number, or a name that does not appear on the official register for that jurisdiction.
- Pressure to sign or pay a large sum on the first call, before written engagement terms arrive.
- A promise of a particular result from a court, tribunal or immigration authority.
- Fees quoted only verbally, with no written breakdown of charging basis, disbursements or tax.
- Cold calls or messages offering to take on your case after an accident, arrest or court listing.
- Requests to pay legal fees into a personal account rather than an account in the firm's name.
How pricing works
Legal pricing follows the type of work. Conveyancing, wills and uncontested probate are often quoted as fixed fees, while disputes and advisory work are usually billed by the hour, sometimes in agreed stages. In England and Wales, firms that publicly offer certain services must publish the total or average cost, the charging basis, likely disbursements and VAT. In the UAE, a fee calculated as a share of the court award cannot exceed 25% of the amount awarded, and no fee is due if the case is lost.
Disbursements are third-party costs such as court fees, searches and translations, and they sit on top of the lawyer's own charge. Contingency and conditional arrangements can lower the cost of starting a claim, but they change how much of any award you keep, so ask for a worked example. In California, a contingency fee agreement must state the percentage and explain how disbursements and costs affect the fee.
- Fixed fee
- One agreed price for a defined task, such as a will or a house purchase, with disbursements listed separately.
- Hourly rate
- Time recorded in units and billed at rates that rise with seniority; ask for an estimate and a cap.
- Contingency or conditional
- The fee depends on winning or takes a share of the recovery; UAE share-of-award fees are capped at 25%.
- Staged fee
- Separate agreed prices for each phase of a dispute, such as pre-action work, issuing, disclosure and trial.
- Business retainer
- A regular payment for ongoing advice, common for companies needing routine contract or employment support.
Top 8 lawyers
Rankings for this category are being researched market by market. Each one will publish when enough businesses pass the eligibility checks and an editor has approved the assessment. A list is never padded to reach eight.
Questions about lawyers
What is the difference between a solicitor and a barrister?
In England and Wales, a solicitor usually takes your instructions directly and runs the matter, from correspondence and documents to negotiation. A barrister concentrates on advocacy and specialist opinions. The two professions have separate regulators, the SRA for solicitors and the BSB for barristers, and each publishes its own register. Check the register that matches the title the person uses, and confirm the practising status on the day you instruct them.
How do I check that a lawyer in Dubai or Abu Dhabi is licensed?
Use the Legal Affairs Department of Dubai's search for advocates and legal consultants, or the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department's lawyer search. Federally, courts accept representation only from lawyers listed on the Ministry of Justice roll of practising lawyers. Ask for the registration details and the name of the licensed firm, and confirm both before you sign a power of attorney or pay a retainer.
Can I challenge a legal bill I think is too high?
Usually, yes, though the route depends on the market. In England and Wales, complain to the firm first and then to the Legal Ombudsman if the bill is still disputed. In California, a client can request fee arbitration, which the attorney must then join. In the UAE, the court hearing the case can reduce agreed fees it considers excessive for the effort and benefit, if the client asks.
Is an online legal document service a safe alternative to a law firm?
It can suit simple documents, but find out who stands behind the service. The SRA's Solicitors Register shows whether a firm is regulated, and a firm outside that system will not carry the same complaint and conduct protections. Ask whether a qualified lawyer reviews your documents, who is responsible if something is wrong, and where you would complain.
Does Top8Reviews rank law firms yet?
Not yet. Rankings will be published market by market once the editorial team has assessed firms against the criteria on this page. Until then, this page explains what to check yourself. When rankings appear, the editorial assessment and customer reviews will be shown separately, and no firm can pay to change its position.
Sources
Official sources behind this page, checked in October 2026.
- Solicitors RegisterSolicitors Regulation AuthorityUK
- SRA Transparency RulesSolicitors Regulation AuthorityUK
- The Barristers' RegisterBar Standards BoardUK
- How To ComplainLegal OmbudsmanUK
- Scottish Legal Complaints CommissionScottish Legal Complaints CommissionUK
- Attorney SearchThe State Bar of CaliforniaUS
- Resolve a Fee DisputeThe State Bar of CaliforniaUS
- Sample Written Fee Agreement Forms: Instructions and CommentsThe State Bar of CaliforniaUS
- Find A LawyerState Bar of TexasUS
- Lawyer SearchIllinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary CommissionUS
- Federal Decree Law No. (34) of 2022 Regulating the Legal Profession and Legal Consultation ProfessionMinistry of Justice, UAEUAE & GCC
- Search for an Advocate / Legal ConsultantLegal Affairs Department of DubaiUAE & GCC
- Search for LawyerAbu Dhabi Judicial DepartmentUAE & GCC
- Registration of PractitionersDIFC CourtsUAE & GCC