Results for Brian Barr Solicitors:
Brian Barr Solicitors Ltd Chronic Pain & Fibromyalgia Compensation in Manchester:
One of the problems when trying to find a law firm to help with a case is the similarities between each firm's website. Many use similar wording, similar images, and make similar claims. So how do you tell them apart?
For example, the majority of compensation claim firms state they are 'specialists'. However, if a firm is also dealing with family law, wills, criminal defence, and house sales at the same time - can they really be 'specialist' at anything? Certainly there are plenty of large firms that have specialist legal professionals within them. So while the case list handled by the firm as a whole may be huge, your assigned solicitor may only handle one or two of those areas of law.
For the website of Brian Barr Solicitors it's easier to distinguish this because they really only handle these types of cases. So does that instantly make them a better choice? Certainly a specialist for any case type is preferrable whether it's the entire firm specialising in your legal issue or simply your assigned solicitor within a firm. But expertise is not the whole story. Experience is also a massive part of a successful and swift outcome to your case.
An online resource we often recommend is the search function at The Law Society of England & Wales. It provides a wealth of information on any of the firms and people registered with them including trading names, alternative contact details, other offices, regulatory status, plus the qualification dates and chosen areas of law for each solicitor within a firm.
If you look up the page for this firm you'll see several staff with a range of qualification dates such as Phillip Cohen who qualified as a solicitor in 2006, Steven Akerman in 2013, right up to Katie Davies who joined the legal profession in 2019. The majority of English and Welsh firms are listed on the site so it's a simple and quick way to check if the firm and it's solicitors are actually likely to be experienced and specialising rather than simply saying so on their website.
Obviously the first thing people usually check is company reviews when seeking to procure any service. This firm, like many others, provides customer testimonials on their website:
"made what was an extremely stressful time in my life easier to deal with"
"found me a fantastic CBT therapist which has really helped"
According to our poll in 2018, only 8% of people indicated they trusted company-provided testimonials. Certainly you can't get a balanced range of comments as no firm we've seen ever posts their negative feedback on their website alongside the positive. However some firms are better at client testimonials than others. There are plenty which simply string out a list of 'highly recommends!' which is of no use to anyone. But the comments posted on the Brian Barr site do include useful bits of information such as these snippets above.
The reason people prefer the public boards such as Google, Trustpilot, Facebook, etc. is to get a wider range of opinions but also to see if there are any themes in the negative feedback too such as not answering the phones, junior staff always dealing with queries, or long delays. So what are they saying about this firm on the independent forums?
"nothing was too much trouble and communication was exceptional"
"helped me through an absolute minefield"
A quick note on navigation. The firm's branding is reflected in the web address with the official site being simply www.brianbarr.co.uk (www.brianbarr.com does not redirect there). There is only the one office so a search for their name will usually bring up their site, links to regulatory bodies, company reviews, and so on. Google has been moving towards a more local setup for reviews though, so sometimes you have to enter the location of the company as well as the name - e.g. 'brian barr solicitors manchester'. The firm's site is HTTPS secure for entering your details on the contact form but always be aware of what site you're on and never discuss payments via email these days.
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General Notes: Legal Aid availability changes constantly, so ask up front. If you are looking for a career with Brian Barr Solicitors it's best to visit the website (www.brianbarr.co.uk) and locate the correct phone/email contact details. Any quoted here will be for potential clients. Alternating or adding words such as Brian Barr Ltd may bring up different background/reviews on the firm. Each firm's Law Society and/or SRA number should be on their site too.