Previously, we would contact the family lawyer or even the local lawyer. That time is over. Until the middle of the 20th century, all Belgian legal texts were grouped together in a single book. It was therefore possible for an isolated lawyer to master this subject which had a reputation for little progress.
Towards the end of the 20th century, laws and legislative amendments multiplied. Furthermore, it became federalized; thus, certain branches of law are governed differently in the Flemish Region, in the Walloon Region or in Brussels (for example town planning, inheritance rights, education, etc.).
It is no longer possible for lawyers to master all the areas of law which are constantly evolving. Like doctors, lawyers are forced to specialize.
If we had to schematize, we can say that the world of lawyers is split into three groups:
- Individual lawyers,
- Medium-sized firms,
- Large associations.
There are still many isolated lawyers outside large cities where the lawyer has the difficult task of having to master a large number of disparate subjects. Medium-sized firms bring together between 3 and 15 lawyers who, most often, share the various areas of law with a view to complementing their skills.
In large associations which include more than 15 lawyers, sometimes up to more than a hundred, we welcome an international clientele who need, not only a solid and important structure to deal with an urgent need for information but also to carry out major operations in several countries at the same time (international mergers and acquisitions for example).
We believe that five rules must be respected to properly choose your lawyer.
We adapt the law firm to the issue of the dispute. With equal experience, there is a significant difference between the hourly rates charged by these three categories of lawyers.
This is obviously linked to the infrastructure of these firms, which is much smaller in the case of an isolated lawyer than in the case of a large association. We easily understand that it is useless to shoot a fly with a cannonball and if it is unreasonable to entrust a small dispute relating to rent arrears to a large association, it is equally unreasonable to contact to a single lawyer to negotiate the takeover of a listed company or an international merger-acquisition.
You choose your lawyer based on the matter to be dealt with. There are simple matters or matters which change little and which any lawyer is able to deal with. This is particularly the case of rental disputes for principal residence leases. But as soon as the subject becomes a little more specialized, complex and changing rules can make the expertise of lawyers more difficult and it is then important to ensure that the chosen lawyer is competent in the subject matter.
Third rle:
We prefer a lawyer who works in his native language. Even if most matters remain federal, so that the legislation in the North and South of the country is identical, the procedures are French-speaking or Dutch-speaking according to very precise rules laid down by the Judicial Code and the law on the use of languages . The sensitivity of Dutch-speaking magistrates is different from those of French-speaking magistrates and experience shows that the way of arguing before one or the other is different. It is therefore preferable for a lawyer to plead before a court in his native language, even if he is bilingual and has perfect knowledge of the second language.
Fourth rule:
We choose a lawyer in whom we trust. You must entrust your case to a lawyer who enjoys the full confidence of the client. . If the client doubts the skills of his lawyer, his probity, his dedication, it is preferable to cease all relations and entrust this file to someone else.
Fifth rule:
We put the price into perspective based on other criteria. As with many services, and undoubtedly even more so in matters of justice, we do not focus on the price. In other words, the client must not consider the price of his lawyer’s services solely in terms of what he must pay per hour or for a file, but by putting this cost in relation to the benefits obtained. . Fees aren’t everything. It is important to compare like for like when it comes to fees. Winning your case with a specialized, competent and expensive lawyer will always be cheaper than losing it with a “cheap” lawyer.
The British economist John Ruskin illustrated this 5th rule very well when he wrote:
It may be stupid to pay too much, but it’s even more ridiculous to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose money, nothing else.
If, on the other hand, you pay too little, you can lose everything because the item purchased may not meet your expectations. Under the laws of economics, it is unreasonable to expect to receive valuable things for little money.
If you accept the cheapest offers, you should then provide a higher amount to cover the risk involved. But if you do that, then you have enough money to afford higher quality.”