Lawyer referral and find-a-lawyer services: what the official pages say, by country

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It names services that put people in touch with lawyers, using each page's own words. It does not rate or recommend any lawyer, and it does not say which kind of lawyer a tree dispute, a contract or a claim needs.

At a glance

Country	Office and service	What the page says
United States (Texas)	State Bar of Texas, Lawyer Referral and Information Service	A referral service; staff cannot give legal advice. Initial consultation of up to 30 minutes for no more than US$20
United Kingdom	GOV.UK, find a legal adviser	Sends the reader to a page for finding an adviser with specialist training in the area of the problem
Ireland	Law Society of Ireland, Find a Solicitor	Search for solicitors and law firms across Ireland by name or location
New Zealand	New Zealand Law Society, find a lawyer	Find and contact a lawyer who is a member of the Society, searchable by name, location or area of law

United States: State Bar of Texas

The State Bar of Texas page says its Lawyer Referral and Information Service connects people with lawyers or other resources, and that "we are a referral service and our staff is unable to give legal advice." It says staff ask for the county, basic details of the legal issue and contact details, which it says are shared only with the lawyer referred. The person then calls the lawyer to arrange an appointment. The page says the lawyer offers an initial consultation of up to 30 minutes for no more than US$20, that the service has no participating lawyers offering free or reduced-fee help, and that any later fee is agreed between the person and the lawyer. For all other counties it lists a toll-free line, (800) 252-9690, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time. It names six counties (Bexar, Dallas, Harris, Jefferson, Travis and Tarrant) and sends them to a page of certified lawyer referral services, and it points to TexasLawHelp.org for free or low-cost resources.

United Kingdom: GOV.UK

The GOV.UK page on finding a legal adviser says a person may need an adviser with specialist training in the area of the problem, gives a solicitor as an example, and links to a separate page. It lists Civil Legal Advice and legal aid under related content and says to get advice and information as early as possible. The page itself explains neither service.

Ireland: Law Society of Ireland

The Law Society of Ireland home page offers a Find a Solicitor search with two types, solicitor or firm, and a box to search by name or location, with an advanced search. The same page links Find a Mediator, Find a Garda Station Solicitor and a list of solicitors who practise through Irish.

New Zealand: New Zealand Law Society

The New Zealand Law Society page says a person can find and contact a lawyer who is a member of the Society, and describes the profession as regulated, with professional standards and oversight. Filters cover area of law, specialisation, region, district, lawyer type and languages spoken. The page points to a public register of lawyers for practising status, links guidance on legal fees and billing, and says the Society cannot provide personalised legal advice. It does not mention a referral service or a free service.

For disputes between neighbours over trees, see the guides on neighbour tree law and on expert evidence rules.