Big Firm, Small Firm, which is best.

When choosing a lawyer to handle your case it is important that you choose the best fit for your circumstances. With a big firm it is likely that you will deal with multiple parties. The principal, associates and junior lawyers as well as admin staff and lawyers in training.

When you choose a sole practitioner that means they work on their own or with a tight group of other professional in a partnership. Generally this means you have greater access to the person who is actually doing the work on your matter.

In Criminal matters I believe that the direct access to your lawyer ultimately leads to the best results. Natural staff turnover at big firms and the nature of their structure usually means that several people will handle your matter leading to a potential loss of confidence.

The overheads of bigger firms generally will mean higher fees passed on to the client and do not necessarily relate to better results. Occasionally a big firm may be required if there is an extraordinary amount of work to be done on a case. In criminal law this is exceedingly rare because even the largest of cases can usually be handled by one or two lawyers.

If you feel that you have been treated poorly by big firms in the past or that your current matter is not being given adequate attention don't hesitate to engage a sole practitioner.