The Law Society’s Solicitors Online is an excellent resource that provides details of thousands of solicitors throughout the UK. A very well constructed search interface allows the user to find information about legal services through the use of a range of filtering processes. The site is regularly updated and has comprehensive coverage of all geographic areas arranged by post code. Only those solicitors that have been registered with the Law Society are included in the database. Therefore the site is a unique source of information on the Law Society approved firms.
There are two ways in which to search the database; a law firm search which assumes that the user requires the services of a solicitor in a particular location and with a particular specialism. This search is easy to execute either by inserting the postcode or the name of the law firm. These variables can be further qualified by the inclusion of up to three more criteria. These are: language – finding solicitors with languages other than English; specialisms – solicitors who have particular specialisms such as family law, medical negligence, personal injury; panel – solicitors with an expertise in a particular specialism. A further refinement of this search is possible through the use of tick boxes to stipulate whether the firm sought should have wheelchair access, legal aid or a fixed fee interview system.
The other type of search is for a named solicitor where surname, forename, law firm or postcode are the valid input fields. There is also an A to Z guide that provides brief information on legal topics, and includes links to other sites.
Once the search has been executed a hit‐list of those records falling within the search criteria is returned. This initial listing includes details of the firm’s name, its address including postcode, an indication of whether it is a branch office or a head office and also the telephone number. The list also states the distance as number of miles each solicitor is from the postcode that was entered in the search.
Entries for the retrieved records contain much detail including full contact details, emergency telephone number. The number of offices that the firm has is recorded, as is the number of working solicitors. Of course a list of specialisms and languages is also recorded.
The site offers some additional information regarding legal services, such as advice on meeting with a solicitor, which is certainly of benefit to users and adds a worthwhile dimension to the whole Web site. The site is well designed with clear navigation and direction. The ability to cross‐search based on solicitor specialism and location is what makes this Web site an excellent resource.
