Results for Girlings Solicitors LLP:
Girlings Solicitors LLP & Girlings Personal Injury Claims Ltd in Sandwich, Ashford & Canterbury:
Today's article focuses on the firm Girlings which has a setup that might seem different and even unusual today, but which was completely common just a decade ago. We're referring to the fact Girlings Solicitors has a separate division for their compensation claims team called Girlings Personal Injury Claims Ltd. As I said, this became common practice after the law changes in the 90s which stripped the nation of many Legal Aid helps and dumped all the burden onto the legal industry.
The Government has continued to strip Legal Aid and reduced the amount of people it can help to almost sub-decimal point percentages. But as phrases such as No Win No Fee became the standard, the number of law firms opening up separate personal injury brands decreased. You can read more about that phenomenon here. But are there any benefits/differences in using a firm that has a split setup like this?
"At Girlings we place the highest value on client care and the quality of our service and as one of Kent’s leading law firms, we are here to make it easy for you to manage your legal affairs."
If you've already visited a dozen law firm sites today you'll have noticed they all make great claims about being 'one of the leading' or 'modern' or 'efficient'. But while those sales words sound good, they really don't help you distinguish one firm from another. It's not as if any firm is claiming to be 'one of the failing' or 'outdated' or 'ineffecient'.
"A list of our numerous accreditations can be seen at the bottom of the page, demonstrating our proven competence in the areas of personal injury and medical negligence."
Many firms will also make claims about being 'award winning' or 'accredited' or 'qualified' without making it clear what that relates to. For all we know their 'award' might be for best logo design which doesn't really affect how good their legal services are. Girlings point them out which is good to see. They have the Lexcel quality assurance mark given by The Law Society, specific accreditation for Personal Injury and also Clinical negligence matters, APIL (Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) membership, listed in the Legal 500, special training by the Foundation for Infant Loss, plus co-operation with other relevant charities and organisations. Big thumbs up.
"Our specialist solicitors ... can provide you with advice and a free initial consultation"
Dealing with the first part of that sentence first. The word 'specialist' is thrown around alot and not always correctly in our opinion. If a law firm handles only one case type such as Motoring Offences, they are clearly specialists. If a law firm with only two solicitors in it handles every case type under the sun, they are clearly not specialists. In between those extremes you can also have larger firms with each individual solicitor specialising in certain areas of law.
Girlings certainly comes under that description so 'specialist solicitors' is a deserved term in this instance. If you're not sure, we highly recommend using the amazing user-side data provided by the Law Society of England & Wales. It is unrivalled by it's counterparts in the useful information provided on each firm including all trading names they go under, alternative contact details, list of solicitors at the firm, and so on. But most importantly they list the areas of law covered and qualification dates of each solicitor registered with them. Some examples: Girlings' Jeremy Burke qualified in 1988, Kathryn Kennell in 1996, Michelle Meakin in 2009, right up to Steevi Henderson's relatively recent qualification in 2017. That certainly looks like a good range of experienced heads but with fresh eyes!
"We specialise solely in injury claims (accident claims, medical/clinical negligence claims and criminal injuries) and can advise on a No Win No Fee basis, where appropriate."
Please note that a 'No Win No Fee' offer is not the same as a '100% Compensation' offer. The first only guarantees that you won't have to pay anything if your case loses. The second guarantees you won't have to pay anything if your case wins. However, we do not recommend picking a firm based on whether they guarantee you 100% compensation versus taking a 25% 'success fee' (the average percentage). An excellent firm that fights hard for £10,000 with a 25% cut is better than a bad firm that quickly settles for £5,000 but takes nothing. Very rough example, but hopefully makes the point.
Obviously the first point of call for most people are the review boards such as Google, Facebook, Trustpilot, etc. So what are people saying about Girlings?
"extremely professional, making sure I understood each stage of the process"
"time, patience, professionalism and out right hard work"
"some of the most thorough, but concise information I have ever been given"
"very understanding and patient and always kept me in the loop"
"time, patience, professionalism and out right hard work"
"some of the most thorough, but concise information I have ever been given"
"very understanding and patient and always kept me in the loop"
Those are snippets from the public comment forums and they were all very positive. Some firms have testimonials on their websites but we tend not to cover them as according to our poll a few years back - only 8% of you trust company provided testimonials.
"Hypermobility syndrome is genetic, and while you therefore can not claim for having the condition. You can make a claim if your symptoms are triggered or made worse as a result of an accident caused by someone else’s negligence."
Some other things of note we spotted on the Girling's websites (they have two) were statements such as this which showed a keeness to take on more complex cases and provide free advice as much as possible. That's much rarer than you might think. They also share case studies which for some reason many people find facinating on their own. But they also indicate a solid history, experience, and a sense of real pride in their work.
Lastly some clarifications on navigation. As mentioned there are two sites. Both are HTTPS secure for submitting your personal details via the contact forms. The main one is www.girlings.com which covers Family Law, Wills, Property, Commercial matters, etc. Then there is www.girlingspersonalinjury.co.uk which hosts the specialist claims site and information. Be aware that www.girlings.co.uk is a totally different firm doing Lettings.
"At Girlings we embrace change and are quick to adapt to meet the needs of our clients."
There are four office addresses mentioned including Sandwich in Kent for the injury claims division then Ashford, Canterbury, and Herne Bay. When searching for information on Google these days you may need to enter a specific location such as 'girlings solicitors ashford' otherwise reviews and other local business details will not pop up. There are separate reviews for the Personal Injury Claims department if you type that in.
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General Notes: Legal Aid availability changes constantly, so ask up front. If you are looking for a career with Girlings Solicitors LLP it's best to visit the website (www.girlings.com) and locate the correct phone/email contact details. Any quoted here will be for potential clients. Alternating or adding words such as Girlings Personal Injury Claims 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.