The best sources of information are relevant professional bodies who publish lists of their members in your area, along with their specialities and contact details. For solicitors this means going to The Law Council of Australia (www.lawcouncil.asn.au) or the Solicitors Register (www.solicitorsregister.com.au). For financial planners, try the Financial Planning Association (FPA) at www.fpa.asn.au. By going through these organisations you’ll know that the individual or practice should be working to a strict code of conduct, with various forms of compensation available if they fail to act in your best interests.
Use these resources to draw up a short list of lawyers, financial advisers and insurance brokers in your local area who will suit your needs. Then contact each to arrange an appointment. These initial appointments are important because they allow you to interview potential members of your professional team to see if you’ll be comfortable working with them.
It’s not essential to be friends with your solicitor, insurance broker or financial adviser, and actually that could get in the way of an efficient working relationship, but you do need to be able to get on with them and to trust their judgement if you’re going to be working with them long-term.
Try and find out as much as possible about the firms or individuals before your meeting, so you can interview them properly by asking the right questions. You should be able to find out quite a bit from their website, but they may also have brochures and additional material they can send you beforehand.
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