Accredited Specialist or Practice Area? Read the Difference

A practice area describes work offered

A service category helps you narrow a search. It does not establish that every person at the office has the same experience, that the practice accepts every kind of matter in that area, or that a specialist accreditation is held. Ask which person would handle your enquiry and whether the particular task is work they currently accept.

Check the actual accreditation scheme

The Law Society of NSW describes its Specialist Accreditation Scheme as a way for solicitors to demonstrate expertise in an area of practice. Verify the named person, field and current status using the relevant professional body. Do not extend an accreditation held by one practitioner to every employee or office. Schemes and search tools should be checked in the jurisdiction concerned.

Ask about fit as well as credentials

Accreditation can be one piece of information; the decision still includes availability, conflict checks, proposed scope and cost. A practitioner without the accreditation you searched for should not automatically be described as unqualified. Equally, an accredited title is not a prediction of the result of your matter. Ask about the work you need and the person who will perform it.

Record exactly whose accreditation you checked

Use a short verification record with the person's name, the professional body, the named accreditation area, the source and the date checked. If the office uses a team model, ask whether that person would conduct, supervise or only occasionally contribute to your work. Keep the reply separate from the accreditation record: they establish different things. If you cannot interpret the professional body's information, ask it to clarify rather than guessing from a badge or logo.

• Person: the individual named in the accreditation claim.
• Field: the exact area described by the relevant scheme.
• Source: the professional body's current information or response.
• Role: what the office proposes that person will do for your enquiry.

Compare an accredited team member with the proposed engagement

A proposal may involve several practitioners with different roles. Ask for the responsible contact, any supervision arrangement and the cost basis for additional specialist input. If the named accredited practitioner is unavailable, ask who is actually being offered and assess that proposal on its own terms. Do not assume that a marketing page guarantees access to a particular individual or that changing team members leaves the proposed scope and price unchanged.

An example of a better enquiry

Illustrative enquiry: ‘Your website names a specialist in this area. Would that person conduct my initial review, supervise someone else, or be available only at a later stage? Please explain who is responsible and what the proposal includes.’ Record the response beside the credential check. This helps you compare the service actually being offered instead of comparing labels in isolation.