General guidance
This guide currently contains general legal information. Jurisdiction-specific guidance for your location is coming soon. The Concaso assessment will still tailor its questions and analysis based on your jurisdiction.
What kind of lawyer do I need?
Start from the problem, not the job title. Who the other side is, what relationship you had with them and what you want to change will point at a practice area faster than any list of specialisms. In many places a paralegal, licensed representative or advocacy service can handle smaller matters at a fraction of the cost.
- Many lawyers act mainly for one side of a dispute type — say so up front if you are responding to something.
- Fee structure matters as much as specialism: hourly, fixed fee, contingency and limited scope all exist.
- Arriving with a timeline and documents converts billable hours into advice.
Plaintiff Centre
If you are bringing this claim
You are considering bringing this dispute forward, so the guide below is most useful for building the record and testing whether it is worth pursuing.
- Write down what happened in order, with dates, before memory fades.
- Collect the documents listed below — they usually matter more than the argument.
- Check the limitation period for where you are; it is the one thing that cannot be fixed later.
- Work out whether the other side can actually pay or comply before spending money.
- Keep chasing in writing, so there is a record of what was asked and when.
Reading this from the other side? Switch to the Defendant Centre view.
Start with the problem, not the job title
Most people search for a lawyer by title. It is usually faster to start from the problem: what happened, who the other side is, what you want to change, and how much is at stake. Those four things narrow the field far more quickly than a general search does.
Answer these before you look for anyone
- What happened, in a few sentences, in the order it happened
- Who the other party is — an employer, a business, a landlord, an insurer, a public body, an individual
- Whether you are the one raising the issue, or responding to something raised against you
- Roughly what is at stake, in money or in consequences
- Whether anything has a deadline attached, such as a letter, a filing date, or a notice period
Matching your situation to a practice area
Legal work is organised into practice areas. The table below is a rough orientation, not a rule — many disputes sit in more than one area, and a good first conversation will tell you which one is doing the work in your case.
| If your situation involves… | The usual practice area | Who typically handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Being fired, laid off, severance, workplace treatment | Employment | An employment lawyer, often acting only for employees or only for employers |
| A signed agreement that was broken or unpaid | Contract / commercial | A civil litigation or commercial lawyer |
| Unpaid invoices or money claimed from you | Debt and collections | A civil litigation lawyer or, for smaller amounts, a paralegal where permitted |
| Renting, eviction, repairs, deposits | Landlord and tenant | A tenancy lawyer or licensed paralegal, often in a tribunal rather than a court |
| An injury caused by someone else | Personal injury | A personal injury lawyer, usually on contingency |
| A denied, delayed or underpaid insurance claim | Insurance | An insurance coverage or civil litigation lawyer |
| Building work, deficiencies, delay, liens | Construction | A construction lawyer |
| Buying, selling, defects, boundaries, title | Real estate | A real estate litigation lawyer for disputes; a conveyancer or solicitor for transactions |
| Separation, parenting, support, family property | Family | A family lawyer, often with mediation options |
| A will, an executor, or an inheritance dispute | Estates | An estates litigation lawyer |
| Use of your work, brand, or content | Intellectual property | An IP lawyer, sometimes a specialist in copyright or trademarks |
| Something published about you that caused harm | Defamation | A defamation or media lawyer |
| A data breach or misuse of personal information | Privacy | A privacy lawyer, or a regulator complaint before any lawyer is needed |
| A decision by a government body, tribunal or regulator | Administrative | An administrative or public law lawyer |
| Discrimination, harassment, accommodation | Human rights | A human rights or employment lawyer, often through a commission or tribunal |
| Partners, shareholders, or a business breakup | Business | A corporate-commercial litigation lawyer |
The different kinds of help available
- Lawyer / solicitor / attorney — full advice and representation, licensed to act in court where permitted.
- Barrister or trial counsel — in some places, a specialist brought in for hearings and advocacy.
- Licensed paralegal or legal executive — permitted in some jurisdictions to handle tribunal and lower-value court matters at lower cost.
- Mediator — a neutral who helps both sides reach an agreement, rather than acting for either.
- Legal aid or duty counsel — publicly funded help, usually means-tested and limited to certain matter types.
- Community legal clinic or law school clinic — free or low-cost help, often specialising in tenancy, employment and benefits.
- Union representative or professional association — where the dispute arises out of covered employment or membership.
- Regulator or ombudsman — free complaint routes for insurance, banking, privacy, and licensed trades.
Which of these you can use depends on where you are and what your matter is. Availability differs by jurisdiction, and some options are only open before a proceeding has started.
How fees usually work
| Arrangement | How it works | Common in |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly | You pay for time spent, often against a retainer paid up front | Most civil, employment, family and commercial work |
| Flat fee | A fixed price for a defined piece of work, such as a letter or a review | Reviews, demand letters, document drafting |
| Contingency | The lawyer is paid a percentage of what is recovered, and usually nothing if nothing is recovered | Personal injury, some employment and class matters |
| Capped or staged | Hourly work with an agreed ceiling, or fees agreed stage by stage | Increasingly offered on request |
| Unbundled / coaching | You run the matter and pay only for specific advice or document review | Smaller matters and tribunals |
Making the first conversation count
A first meeting is usually about scoping, not a decision on your matter. The more organised you are, the more of that time goes to the parts only a lawyer can do.
Ask
- Have you handled matters like this before, and how do they usually proceed?
- How do you charge, and what would this likely cost through each stage?
- What are the realistic paths here, including resolving it without a formal claim?
- Are there deadlines I need to protect right now?
- What information do you still need from me, and what should I stop doing?
- Who will actually be doing the work?
Bring
- A one-page chronology of key dates
- Contracts, letters, notices, or agreements between you and the other party
- Emails, messages, and notes of conversations
- Invoices, pay records, receipts, or anything showing amounts
- A short written note of what you want to achieve
"In March I signed a $42,000 agreement. The work stopped in May, I have paid $20,000, and last week I received a demand for the balance. I want to know whether to respond, and what my exposure is." Four sentences, dates, amounts, and a question.
Signals worth paying attention to
- A guarantee about the outcome. No one can responsibly give you one.
- Pressure to sign a retainer in the first conversation.
- No written fee agreement, or vagueness about disbursements.
- No clear answer about who will handle the file day to day.
- Unwillingness to discuss whether the matter is worth pursuing or defending at all.
Checking that someone is licensedGeneral guidance
Every jurisdiction has a regulator that publishes a public register of licensed professionals, including any disciplinary history. Checking a name against that register takes a minute and is worth doing before any money changes hands.
- Confirm the person is currently licensed and permitted to do the type of work involved.
- Confirm they carry professional indemnity insurance.
- Confirm the fee agreement is in writing before work starts.
Have these ready
- A short chronology of what happened, with dates
- The contract, policy, lease, or employment agreement, if there is one
- Any letter, notice, demand, or claim you have received
- Correspondence with the other party
- Records of amounts paid, owed, or lost
What makes a first meeting productive
- Dates you can support with a document rather than memory
- The other party's full legal name, as it appears on paperwork
- Anything with a deadline printed on it
- A clear statement of what you want to happen
Want both lists in one printable page?
Common mistakes
- Searching by job title before working out what the dispute is actually about
- Waiting to see what happens when a letter states a deadline
- Assuming the first quote is the market rate
- Not asking whether a free or lower-cost route — regulator, ombudsman, tribunal, clinic — comes first
- Turning up without documents and paying hourly rates for the lawyer to reconstruct the story
Frequently asked
Do I need a lawyer at all?
Sometimes not. Many disputes have an internal appeal, regulator, ombudsman or tribunal route that is designed to be used without representation. A scoping conversation, or a structured assessment, usually makes it clear which category you are in.
How much does a first consultation cost?
It varies widely. Some offer a free initial call, others charge for a fixed-length consultation, and contingency practices often assess at no cost. Ask when you book, and ask what happens to that fee if you retain them.
What if I cannot afford a lawyer?
Look at legal aid, community legal clinics, law school clinics, union or association support, and unbundled arrangements where you pay only for advice on specific steps. Availability depends on where you are and the type of matter.
I am the one being sued. Does that change who I should look for?
Yes. Say so up front, mention any date on the documents you have received, and ask specifically whether the professional takes defence work in that area. Response deadlines are often short.
Can Concaso tell me whether I will win?
No. Concaso is not a law firm and does not give legal advice or predict outcomes. It organises what you know into a structured report — strengths, weaknesses, missing evidence and deadlines — so that a conversation with a professional starts further along.
Assess my situation
Concaso turns what you already know into a structured, confidential report — strengths, weaknesses, missing evidence, and the deadlines that matter. We will start you in the right place based on this guide.
Describe what happenedTopics in this guide
Related guides
Recommended next read
Do I Have a Case?
How to tell the difference between something that went badly and something the legal system can actually do something about — and what to check before you spend money finding out.
Recommended next read
Do I Need a Lawyer?
When representation earns its cost, when a limited-scope arrangement is enough, and when handling something yourself is genuinely reasonable — with the warning signs that mean get advice now.
Recommended next read
What Kind of Problem Is This?
Most people describe a situation, not a legal category. This guide works backwards from what happened — who the other side is, what changed, and what you want — to the area of law that usually governs it.
Also about costs
Is It Worth Pursuing?
Merit is only half the decision. This guide covers the other half: cost, time, recovery, and the honest arithmetic of whether taking a dispute further leaves you better off.
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and Concaso is not a law firm. Reading it does not create a lawyer–client relationship. Deadlines and procedures differ by jurisdiction and change over time — confirm anything you intend to rely on.