Why choose a Legal 500 or Chambers and Partners listed law firm [Updated Oct 2022]
Every autumn, we post our new rankings in Chambers and Partners and the Legal 500 UK. These two major publications rank lawyers in the UK through independently researched interviews with clients, partners and the firms themselves.
Given that these ranking were originally designed to help legal professionals find expert solicitors, why do we tell you, our prospective clients, all about them?
The answer is simply that these guides can help YOU find the expert family lawyer you need for your divorce or family issue, from an exclusive nationwide list of experienced and respected law firms.
Choosing the right family law firm
Choosing the right law firm for your family law matter or divorce can be difficult. If you’ve not needed a lawyer before, who can you ask?
- You might opt to look at third party review sites, but how accurate are they and can you trust them?
- Personal recommendations are always good, but what if nobody in your circle of friends or family has used a solicitor recently? Or if they had a bad experience themselves?
- Each area of the UK has several legal firms ranked, so how do they compare one to the other?
Choosing a Legal 500 or Chambers listed family law firm can help you review what they offer, and what professional researchers think about their services. So you can decide who might be right for your case, before you even contact them.
What are the Legal 500 and Chambers?
The Legal 500 and Chambers are long-established, highly respected guides to the best law firms in the UK. Originally published in book form, both guides are now online and free for anyone to view at any time. They are used extensively by the legal profession and also by private individuals to find the most suitable firm for a particular case.
Here's how it works.
The directory section gives details of the firm, such as contact details and location. It also includes how the law firms are ranked, which is different for Chambers and Legal 500. The editorial section is written by the guide, based on its extensive research (see below).
As Chambers and Partners explain:
“If you are buying legal services in the UK and need reliable and up-to-date recommendations on the best law firms and lawyers, (our) rankings and research will provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision.”
(Chambers and Partners)
Independent assessments that money can’t buy
These guides are independent. No law firm can buy inclusion. To be listed, each law firm must submit a very detailed application. This is then followed up by extensive research by the guide’s independent assessors. Only if the guides consider a law firm to be of the standards required will the firm be included.
“All editorial comments and listings are completely independent and no firm has been able to secure its inclusion within the editorial sections through payment.”
(Legal 500)
“Chambers identifies the best law firms globally, whether they are multi-national or boutique. We have evolved our process to accommodate as many top small and boutique firms for ranking consideration as possible.”
(Chambers and Partners)
View our rankings now - just click on the links below:
If you like what these guides say and wish to meet us for yourself, call us for an appointment or book your fixed fee initial 1 hour consultation with an LGFL Director.
How UK law firms are researched
Both guides undertake extensive research to help them assess law firms and compare them within their region and speciality, such as family law.
The Legal 500 requests specific details of work from the firm itself, much of which is not available in the public domain. This is cross-referenced by in person or telephone interviews with specialist attorneys and key figures in the key areas the firm specialises in (family law and divorce in our case).
It’s an involved and in-depth process that takes up to six month or more, as:
“Interviews are conducted by experienced journalists and researchers with a considerable depth of market knowledge.”
(Legal 500)
Chambers and Partners assess via a range of criteria including:
- Technical legal ability
- Client service
- Commercial vision and business understanding
- Diligence
- Value for money
- Depth of team
Client feedback
Both guides also contact a selection of our clients and business connections requesting their honest feedback on LGFL and the lawyers they have instructed, namely Rita or Anne. (We check clients are OK to be contacted in advance, of course.)
How law firms are ranked
Each ranks a law firm and their individual lawyers according to their performance, strengths and the quality of their work. Legal firms can achieve higher rankings through sustained growth, excellent customer service, high quality casework and other factors. The same applies to individual lawyers.
Legal 500 Ranking and Editorial
In the Legal 500 guide, legal firms such as ours are ranked within a geographical area against other firms. So, in the 2023 edition:
- LGFL Ltd are a Tier 3 Private Client legal firm for the Thames Valley, Berks, Oxon, M4/M40 region. We entered at Tier 3 in our first ranking.
- Both Rita and Anne are Recommended Lawyers.
LGFL maintains its Tier 3 status as a Leading Firm in Family Law, and both Directors are once again Recommended Lawyers.
"The ‘one-of-a kind boutique firm’ Leiper Gupta Family Lawyers Ltd (LGFL Ltd) is led jointly from Reading by directors Rita Gupta and Anne Leiper. The 'formidable' Leiper is a specialist in financial settlements and an experienced litigator. In addition to her expertise in financial matters, Gupta advises on cases involving children and counsels clients through divorces - she is praised for her 'unique blend of empathy and passion."
The testimonials that the Legal 500 researched from our clients are exceptional. Here's just one example:
"Anne Leiper and Rita Gupta are a fantastic team. They dedicate themselves to their cases and are relentless in pushing a case forward to the benefit of their clients. They are incredibly detailed in their approach and, where appropriate, leave no stone unturned. They are excellent solicitors."
You can find all our testimonials in full on our LGFL Legal 500 profile page.
Chambers and Partners Ranking and Editorial
In Chambers and Partners, legal firms are ranked within the geographical area of Reading and surrounds, and in the category Family/Matrimonial, which is more specific than just Private Client.
The Chambers and Partners 2023 edition will be launched on Thursday 20 October 2022.
In the 2022 edition:
- LGFL Ltd is a Leading Firm in Band 2.
- Both Rita Gupta and Anne are a Band 3 Recognised Practitioners for Reading and surrounds.
Here’s how Chambers and Partners describe us for 2022:
One client praises our "Tenacious, robust and incredibly strategic" team who are "extremely meticulous in everything". Another client comments that Director Rita Gupta "Despite the ups and downs of the case she dealt with all manner of challenges, keeping a calm head and focusing on the best outcome."
Only the best are included
Many law firms apply year after year to these guides before they might be finally accepted and included. We were proud that we were accepted by both guides at our first submission, and have been included in subsequent editions since 2017.
So, when you choose a listed law firm like LGFL or individual lawyer such as Rita or Anne, the guides have already done the hard work of researching us, assessing our strengths, and ranking us in our respective fields and geographical areas.
New 2023 editions launch dates
The new editions of each guide will be launched on the following dates:
Legal 500 - 2023 edition now live
Chambers and Partners – Thursday 20th October 2022
Click on the links after these dates to see our new 2023 rankings and editorial.