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At present there are more than 4,500 solicitors working for over 400 solicitors firms in Hong Kong. You should not have any difficulty in finding a solicitor to act for you.

There are several ways in which you can find a solicitor who can advise you on your problem:-
1. Contact the Law Society of Hong Kong. The Law Society of Hong Kong has a Directory of solicitors firms which indicates the type of work they will handle. You can consult the Directory by attending the offices of the Law Society located at 3/F, Wing On House, 71 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong, tel. no. 28460500 during office hours 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Copies of the Directory are also available at your local District Board Office and at your local library.
2. You can consult the Yellow Pages ('Buying Guide') which has a section headed "Solicitors". You can select any firm and then telephone their office for an appointment to see one of their solicitors.
3. Finally, you may seek advice from a relative or from your friends, but don't rely blindly on friendly advice. You should arrange an appointment with the solicitor and if satisfied by his manner and approach you can then engage him. If you are asked to pay any money, this must be paid directly to the solicitor's firm, and make sure you receive an official receipt signed by the cashier.

You should be very cautious if you are approached by anyone asking you to pay money to him to arrange a solicitor to see you. You should not rely on such an approach and you should never pay any money to such people. These people are "touts" and good firms of solicitors do not use touts, nor do they charge for the introduction of business (to their firms).

Both the Legal Aid Department, and the Duty Lawyer Service offer legal assistance to those who are eligible for their services. For details please ring again and ask for the tapes on Public Legal Assistance in Civil Cases or Public Legal Assistance in Criminal Cases. You can also approach the offices of both organizations for details. The Legal Aid Department is located at 24/F, High Block, Queensway Government Offices, Hong Kong, tel. no. 25377677. There is also a branch office at G/F of Mongkok Government Offices, 30 Luen Wan Street, Mongkok, Kowloon, tel. no. 23992313. The Duty Lawyer Service which is run by the legal profession, has an office at each Magistrates Court. Its Head Office is situated at Rooms 2707-8, Gloucester Tower, The Landmark, 11 Pedder Street, Central, Hong Kong, tel. no. 25265969. You can also obtain further information about the Legal Advice Scheme at this address.

Date of amendment: 10th Aug 2009