Clarkson Wright & Jakes Ltd: Info

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Clarkson Wright and Jakes - CWJ's are one of the largest law firms in Kent offering a range of services for both individuals and businesses. Their solicitors are specialists in their respective fields whether Personal Injury, Family Law, Residential Property, Employment, Probate or a Commercial Litigation matter. With many years of experience and strong local knowledge they promise fast, effective solutions. They are happy to arrange meetings face to face as well as video conferencing. Valiant House, 12 Knoll Rise, Orpington, , Greater London, BR6 0PG Link unavailable. Click to see local map of alternatives >> cwj@cwj.co.uk 01689 887887

CWJ Solicitors & Notaries - Clarkson Wright & Jakes Ltd in Orpington, Kent: Review

One of the great things about the birth of the internet is how it has impacted the legal service industry. While 'back in the day' most people ended up having to use the law firm near them, the internet has allowed people a wealth of options and to manage their case effectively without ever having to set foot in a solicitor's office.

The downside to having a wealth of choice is of course ... too much choice. People can be unsure whether the best option is to hire a large firm for greater resources, a smaller firm to feel more attended to, a niche firm to get targeted expertise, a general firm with a wider range of experiences, or any one of the other dozens of types of law firm that now exist. We even see firms claiming to be a mixture of expectations such as large firms claiming a 'family-run feel' or multi-practice firms claiming to be 'specialists'. With so much sales language to wade through, what should you be looking for?

Clarkson Wright & Jakes is a firm that has grown up with the change of the internet so should be more aware than others about people's expectations. Underneath this snippet from the firm's website, it also states the firm was founded in 1875 before moving to Orpington, Kent in 1951. However we don't think you should base your decision to use any firm on their 'founding' date. We see many legal practices touting 'established in' dates with the obviously intention of implying they are more experienced and well-established than others. But you can end up with a 40-year veteran lawyer from a 1-year old law firm or a 1-year novice solicitor from a 200-year old brand name. So the age of the firm's logo will probably bear no relation on how well they will run your case.

This is a far more important sentence from the firm's website. No firm will claim to have zero experience though, so how can you check? Luckily if you are in England or Wales the Law Society has an excellent database you can search. You can enter the name of a solicitor or a firm and see plenty of useful information such as all trading names, offices addresses, alternate contact details, areas of law handled, and even languages spoken at the firm.

The Law Society also lists the qualification dates of each solicitor within any firm. While not a foolproof way of ensuring experience, it can certainly help. For example at this firm you can see a range of legal professionals with experience stretching over the past five decades. Solicitor Emily Carey at the firm is listed as having qualified in 1989, Alison Hall in 1994, Keith Doherty in 2004, Josephine Bowman in 2013, plus many others right up to the relatively new Sophie Murray who joined the profession in 2020. That's a wide cross-section of seasoned heads with fresh eyes if you don't mind mixing some metaphors.



The main place people turn to in order to confirm a firm's claims of 'excellent client service' is usually the public review forums. While most companies list customer testimonials on their websites, our poll a few years back indicated that they were not trusted nearly as much as the comments left on independent boards such as Google, Trustpilot, or Facebook.



The majority of reviews we saw were very positive. That's actually rarer than you might think for a firm that handles house buying/selling. If you look up a dozen or so law firms that handle property matters, you'll find most of them have negative comments. That's because while people are often hesitant to discuss their messy divorce or criminal proceedings in public - people have no problem jumping online to complain about how long their house sale is taking.

Let's be honest, practically no one is ever fully happy with how their house sale goes. But for any law firm we highly recommend reading the actual reviews rather than simply flicking through star ratings. It's the only way you'll get a proper picture.



A quick note on navigation. The firm branding typically uses the acronym "CWJ" which stands for Clarkson Wright & Jakes Ltd. There are also mentions of Clarkson Wright & Jakes Notaries. So you may see any of these on reference, review or information sites such as the Law Society or SRA. The official website is www.cwj.co.uk and it is HTTPS secure if you want to submit your personal details in their contact form. Variants such as www.cwj.com are not owned by the firm and neither is any variation of clarkson-wright-jakes such as www.clarksonwrightjakes.co.uk

Details such as this are extremely important to bear in mind due to the number of scammers targeting clients of law firms. In particular - property sales clients. People have handed their entire house deposit to fraudsters. Sometimes over a simple official looking email which stated the bank details had suddenly changed. Always be vigilant over which site you are on and always ring the official number you have if unsure.

General Notes: Usually if Legal Aid is possible we've mentioned it above, but you can always ask. We haven't looked in depth at their recruitment program so are unaware of any job vacancies available. For a career with Clarkson Wright & Jakes Ltd it's best to visit the website (www.cwj.co.uk), check opening hours, and find the correct phone/email contact details. Simply emailing a CV to reception looks lazy. Each law firm's Law Society and/or SRA number should be on their site, usually at the bottom of each page.

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• Debt / Bankruptcy
• Immigration
• Family Law
• Divorce
• Conveyancing
• Personal Injury

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