"If there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers."

Make sure you enter with a clear idea of what you want to get out of it.  See if you can provide them with your goals and where you want your money to take you in life. It may be that your meeting helps you to set these goals, with an unbiased view to guide you.

A good adviser will review your whole situation, so the process can take a little while so make sure you have the time and you don’t need a financial situation resolved imminently.

Some ideas to think about before the meeting:

If you’re in a couple, see your adviser together

If both of you attend the meeting then your adviser will have the best idea of what is important for you as a couple and your combined goals.

Ask all the questions you can:

No question is stupid when it comes to finances, so never worry about sounding unintelligent. Make the most of having a professional available to help you clarify your queries. Make sure you have fully understood what they are telling you.

Request examples

Ask if your adviser can provide any case studies to show how the process works, especially if you’ve got a specific area of advice you are after.

Talk about the risk

It’s important to have a conversation about risk. You need to understand your own tolerance of risk and the different levels of risk with each product available.

Get them to explain all the pros and cons.

Get your adviser to explain all benefits and all negatives of all options available for you and your investments. See if they can improve your security, peace of mind over not only the short term, but also long term.

Agreeing their fee

Before you make the decision to proceed, your adviser will be able to identify their fees for the jobs you need.  The point of financial advice is to make you more money in the long run, so make sure you consider the fees and make sure it works out well for you and your finances.

Getting a solicitor
There’s a lot of situations where you may need to employ a solicitor, from buying a house to getting a divorce.  All of these situations are normally highly stressful, so it’s important to find a solicitor who you are comfortable with and can build a strong relationship with. They should be your first point of contact in any legal proceedings and can be your representation in any legal situations.

A solicitor can provide you with expert knowledge surrounding the law and help you with big decisions in your life such as:

• Your home
• Your family
• Your business
• Your life in general

When can they help?

A solicitor can provide invaluable support when you’re in a lot of different situations. Some of the main moments they would be helpful are when:

• Getting a divorce
• Family disputes and child support
• Your work
• Employer / employee disputes
• Intellectual property disputes
• Insolvency and bankruptcy
• Legal disputes
• Criminal proceedings
• Setting up lasting power of attorney
• Making a will 

Depending on what you’re asking for, your solicitors fees can vary.  Routine work such as conveyancing can be quite easy to work out, however if there are any additional jobs you require, the cost can grow.  Make sure you talk about everything carefully with your solicitor.

How do I choose a good solicitor?

There are a lot of different areas that solicitors can focus on, so you need to take the time to make sure you’ve got the right one for your job.  Don’t assume that because the solicitor you chose was brilliant with negotiating a mortgage, will be as good at handling your divorce.

When you meet

Always meet your solicitor in person before you confirm your business.  They should have a practising certificate to ensure their qualifications and make sure you talk about the process you will be embarking on.  Make sure you check on the timeframes as well, so you know how long each job is going to take.

Make sure you find out what documentation you may need to show them and have it to hand; the time it takes to find a document could be make or break in the process.

Organising and costs

When organising a financial adviser or a solicitor, your first questions are probably going to be: “What can it do for me?” and “How much will it cost?”
It can cost you anything between £500 to £5,000 depending on your requirements, your assets and the adviser you choose. Most charge around 3% of the asset in question, and lower for those with larger assets.

Can financial advice save me money?

Financial advisers can help you save money in a lot of ways.  They can recommend the best schemes and products to help lower your costs, as well as save money on tax and avoid inflation.
Perhaps more importantly, they can help you avoid any mistakes, from lack of knowledge, through bad decisions or falling victim to fraud.

Can it make me money?

Financial advice can certainly help you grow in money.  Those who take advantage of advice when it comes to pensions and start it early can build a lot more money than those who don’t, not including the perks of compound interest and tax relief.

Having advice when dealing with the property market is often invaluable, as their advice could be the difference between being accepted or rejected for a mortgage.  You can also ensure you find a better deal for you and your lifestyle.

Mortgage advisers are qualified to find you the best mortgage for your needs.  They can also be called mortgage brokers.  The main difference is ‘brokers’ fall into two categories; ‘tied’ and ‘independent’.  The latter of these can source a mortgage from everywhere in the UK market, however the former can only look at certain providers.

Some Independent Financial Advisers do undertake mortgage advice; however, it’s normally advised to seek a mortgage adviser who specialises in this field.  This way you are more likely to get a deal secured, and to find the perfect fit for your circumstances.

When do I need a mortgage adviser?

The people who tend to benefit most from a mortgage adviser are first-time buyers as applying for something in an area you are unsure of can often be a challenge.

That’s not to say that a mortgage adviser would not be useful at other times. As life circumstances change, you may find you need help with remortgaging, buying a new home or another house, if you need a special mortgage for a buy-to-let property or a business premise.  You can also use a mortgage adviser at the later stage of life to find out the value of your property and learn about the equity you could release.

What are the advantages of a mortgage adviser?

If you choose to work with an independent mortgage adviser, you will have visibility of all providers available.  They will act in line with your best interests, meaning that you can be confident in a deal.  They should also:

• Suggest an ideal amount for you to borrow.
• Help you to build a successful application to ensure you acquire your mortgage.
• Give clear explanations about the types of deals and mortgages available.
• Help you to save money by finding you a deal with low interest and fees.

Unfortunately, the more times you fail in applying for a mortgage, the less likely you are to succeed.  Every refusal counts against your credit score, so reducing these is crucial.  Having a mortgage adviser on hand can help to increase your chances of being accepted first time round.

How much will I have to pay for a mortgage adviser?

The price of a mortgage adviser can vary significantly.  Some charge an upfront fee, while others simply take commission from the loan lender. It’s important to check fees with your adviser before you commit and ensure that they are not charging over the odds for what you need; their job after all, is to save you money.

What do I need to do on my first meeting with an adviser?

It’s a good idea to check the strength of your mortgage application so that you can identify the key questions you will need to ask your mortgage adviser.  See if they can source any direct deals, and why they think specific deals may be good for you.
They should also provide tips and guidance throughout the process. It’s important to have someone you get along with and feel you can discuss these matters with.

You could also use them to find out things about:

• Accountant fees per service
• General accounting
• Ways to pay your accountant.

A small business is anything from a solo contractor to a company of 50 employees. When employing an accountant for this type of job, you’ll often receive a package of services:

• Bookkeeping
• Monthly & annual payroll returns
• Accounts for the year
• Director and corporate tax returns
• VAT returns
• Tax Avoidance advice
• Day-to-day advice

The fee for this can often be between £60-£300 a month dependent on business size, turnover and your location.

How do I pay my accountant?

You have various options available when it comes to paying your accountant.  Businesses tend to pay monthly, to help provide certainty, but you could also choose to pay hourly, for individual services or mix and match these two payments.

Basic services often cost between £20-£40 an hour. If you need more specialist jobs, than you’re normally looking at a price of between £120-£160 an hour.

These fees often rise with the rise of your company, so as you grow expect to pay more out for services such as accounting.

This is just a guide, but please bear these costs in mind when it comes to setting up a business. Don’t be afraid of shopping around and seeing what deal is best for you.