UK · EU · US · InternationalYou have a legal problem. What to do in the first 48 hours
Short answer: what you do before taking advice usually matters more than the advice. Five steps, in order.
1. Stop replying
Every message you send becomes evidence. Angry, apologetic and casual replies are all quoted back at you later. Acknowledge receipt if a reply is genuinely required, say nothing about the merits, and stop there.
2. Preserve everything
Do not delete, tidy, amend or backdate anything. Altering a record after the event turns a commercial dispute into a credibility problem, and credibility is what most disputes actually turn on.
3. Find the deadline
Nearly everything has one. Employment tribunal claims run to three months less one day. Trademark oppositions have a two month window. Ombudsman referrals allow six months from the final response. Defamation has a one year limitation period. Missing a deadline closes routes that advice cannot reopen.
4. Write the chronology
Dates, documents, who said what. An hour spent on this before your first conversation with a solicitor saves several hours of billed time and produces better advice, because the adviser sees the shape of the matter rather than your summary of it.
5. Get the written view before you act
A written merits note tells you the prospects, the realistic range of outcomes and the cost of each route. It is the cheapest document in any dispute and the one that stops expensive mistakes in week one.
Common questions
Should I reply to a letter before action myself?
Not on the merits. Acknowledge it if a response is due, note the deadline, and take advice before saying anything substantive.
What does the first step cost?
A solicitor’s letter before action starts at £595, fixed in writing before work begins, and the assessment of your position is included in it rather than charged separately.
Fixed fee agreed in writing before any work begins, written reply within 24 hours, handled entirely in writing. Send your enquiry or WhatsApp +44 7822 014 066.