# Questions to ask before you hire a Saudi lawyer Before you hire a lawyer in Saudi Arabia, ask whether they are licensed, who will handle your file, and in which language. Ask how the fee is set in writing, and what the power of attorney will allow. You can ask all of this by message, phone or email before you sign anything. Published by RAED ALI ALJOHANI COMPANY FOR Lawyership and Legal Consultations · Last updated 2026-10-19. General information about Saudi law — not advice on your situation. ## At a glance - **Who this is for:** Companies and individuals choosing a lawyer in Saudi Arabia, whether they are abroad or in the country. - **Can it be handled from outside Saudi Arabia?:** Yes. You can ask every question by WhatsApp, phone or email. You do not need to travel to Saudi Arabia to compare lawyers. - **What usually decides the route:** The kind of matter you have, where you are, and the languages you need. - **What you usually need first:** A short outline of your matter, the other party's name, and your list of questions. - **First step with us:** Send your questions with a short outline. Please don't send documents yet. ## Can you ask a Saudi lawyer these questions from outside Saudi Arabia? Yes. You can ask every question on this page by WhatsApp, phone or email, wherever you are. You do not need to travel to Saudi Arabia to compare lawyers or to agree the terms of the work. Keep your first message short. Say who you are, who the other party is (the person or company on the other side), and what happened. Ask which hours the lawyer works in Saudi time (UTC+3), and plan calls around your own time zone. If you hire the lawyer, the fee proposal and the engagement letter are written documents. An engagement letter is the written agreement between you and the law firm. So you can usually agree both from abroad. [Najiz](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/najiz/) is the Ministry of Justice's online platform for cases and powers of attorney. To sign in, it needs a Saudi digital identity, so a client abroad usually works through a lawyer who holds a power of attorney. You usually sign that document in your own country, in front of a notary. [Power of attorney for Saudi Arabia, signed abroad](https://saudilaw.co/from-abroad/power-of-attorney/) explains the steps. Ask the lawyer which steps, if any, would need you in Saudi Arabia in person. ## What should you ask a Saudi lawyer before you hire them? Ask a Saudi lawyer about 5 things before you hire them: the licence, who will do the work, the language, the fee and the power of attorney. Also ask whether your information stays confidential, and what the lawyer cannot promise. The checklist below groups the questions under 4 headings. Each question works for any lawyer or law firm in Saudi Arabia, and you can ask it by message, phone or email. Each one is written the way you might ask it. You can copy them into your first message, or ask them on a call. ### The lawyer and the firm - Are you licensed in Saudi Arabia? What are your licence number and licence date? - Which licensed lawyer will be responsible for my matter, and who else will work on it? - Will anyone outside your firm work on my matter, such as another law firm or a translator? - Do you already act for the other side, or for anyone connected to them? The [Saudi Bar Association (SBA)](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/saudi-bar-association/) is the professional body for lawyers in Saudi Arabia. It keeps a public directory of licensed lawyers, so you can compare the details you receive with its record. [How to check a Saudi lawyer's licence from anywhere](https://saudilaw.co/find-a-lawyer-in-saudi-arabia/check-a-lawyers-licence/) explains each way to check. ### Language and updates - Which languages can we use for calls, messages and written advice? - Who will translate documents for the court, and will they be certified translations? - How often will you update me, and by which channel? - Which hours do you work in Saudi time (UTC+3), and how will that fit my time zone? ### Fees and paperwork - How will the fee be set: a fixed fee, a fee for each stage, a fee based on time, or a retainer? - What does the fee cover, and which costs are separate, such as translations or government fees? - Will I get a written fee proposal and an engagement letter before any work starts? - What are the main stages of my matter, and what could change them? - What will the power of attorney allow you to do, and can it be limited to my matter? A retainer is a regular fee, often monthly, for ongoing advice. According to the Ministry of Justice's Rules of Professional Conduct for Lawyers, a written agreement is needed before work starts. It names the parties and sets out the work, and the fee or how the fee will be worked out. [How legal fees work in Saudi Arabia](https://saudilaw.co/find-a-lawyer-in-saudi-arabia/how-legal-fees-work/) explains each fee model and what to ask about it. ### Confidentiality and promises - Will what I tell you stay confidential, including in this first conversation? - What can you not promise me? A clear answer to the last question is useful. No lawyer in Saudi Arabia may promise a result they don't control. ## Who will actually handle your matter at a Saudi law firm? Ask for the name of the licensed lawyer who will be responsible for your matter. Then ask who else will work on it, and who your day-to-day contact will be. Other people may help with the work, such as other lawyers, legal consultants or translators. That can be normal. What matters is that you know who they are, and who answers for the work. Only a lawyer licensed in Saudi Arabia can act as your lawyer before a Saudi court. Lawyers qualified in other countries may work inside licensed Saudi firms as [non-Saudi legal consultants](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/). They can give advice, but they do not appear in court. So ask who would attend hearings or file documents in your name. ## Which language will you work in with a Saudi lawyer? Court work in Saudi Arabia is done in Arabic. So ask which languages the lawyer can use with you, and who translates documents between Arabic and your language. Documents in other languages usually need a [certified translation](https://saudilaw.co/glossary/), made by an accredited translation office. If a translation of a Saudi law differs from the official Arabic text, the Arabic text is the one that applies. Even if a law firm's website is in your language, the firm may not be able to work in that language. Ask before you hire. Also ask how your name will be written in Arabic. A name in English letters can be spelt more than one way in Arabic, so the same spelling should appear on every document. ## Will what you tell a Saudi lawyer stay confidential? Yes. Lawyers in Saudi Arabia owe a duty of confidentiality, including in a first conversation. Before agreeing to act, a firm also runs a conflict check. A conflict check is a firm's check that it does not already act for the other side. To run it, the firm needs the other party's name. That is why a short outline is enough at first: who you are, the other party, what happened and when, and where you are now. Send documents only after a lawyer has agreed to act for you, and ask how the firm wants to receive them. ## How to choose a Saudi lawyer, step by step 1. **Write a short outline.** Say who you are, who the other party is, what happened and when, and where you are now. Don't attach documents. 2. **Check the licence.** Look the lawyer up in the Saudi Bar Association's public directory before you go further. 3. **Send your questions.** Use the list above, by WhatsApp, phone or email. 4. **Compare the answers and the written proposals.** Look at who would do the work and what each proposal covers, not only at the fee. 5. **Read the engagement letter before you sign it.** Check the parties, the work and its scope, and the fee or how it will be worked out. 6. **Sign a power of attorney, if your matter needs one.** You usually sign it in your own country, then have it stamped for use in Saudi Arabia. 7. **Agree how you will stay in touch.** Settle the channel, the language and how often you will hear from your lawyer. Contact: WhatsApp or phone +966 54 797 7285 · email office@raedlawyer.com · undefined ## What to prepare Have these ready before you contact any lawyer in Saudi Arabia: - a short outline of your matter, in a few lines; - the other party's name, so the firm can run its conflict check; - your list of questions; - the languages you can work in, and your time zone; - any deadline you already know of, such as a date in a letter or a court notice. Keep your documents ready, but don't send them until a lawyer agrees to act for you. ## Frequently asked questions ### Should you speak to more than one lawyer in Saudi Arabia? You can, and it often helps. Speaking to more than one lawyer lets you compare how each one explains the steps, who would do the work and what each written proposal covers. Check every lawyer's licence the same way, in the Saudi Bar Association's Lawyers Index. Then choose the one whose proposal and explanation you understand. ### What happens in a first conversation with a Saudi law firm? Usually you send a short outline: who you are, what has happened and where you are now. The firm checks that the matter is one it handles and that it is free to act, meaning it does not already act for the other side. It then tells you what it needs and how the fee is agreed. Advice on your own matter usually comes after you sign an engagement letter. ### Can a Saudi lawyer promise you a result? No. Saudi professional rules don't allow a lawyer to promise a result they don't control. If a lawyer promises a fixed outcome, treat it as a warning sign. What a lawyer can do is explain the stages and the risks, and put the terms of the work in writing. ### Can I find a lawyer in Saudi Arabia who speaks English or my language? You need a lawyer who can explain each step to you in a language you understand, so ask about languages before you hire. The court work itself is done in Arabic, with certified translations where they are needed. Ask, too, who will speak with you day to day, and in which language the written updates come. ### Can your lawyer at home work with a Saudi lawyer? Yes. Your own lawyer can advise you on your country's law, while a lawyer licensed in Saudi Arabia handles the Saudi side, including any court work. Agree at the start who instructs the Saudi lawyer and who receives updates. See [working with foreign law firms, insurers and advisers](/for-advisers/). ## Official sources - Saudi Bar Association: [Lawyers Index](https://eservice.sba.gov.sa/en/lawyers) (checked 2026-10-19) - Ministry of Justice: [Rules of Professional Conduct for Lawyers](https://laws.moj.gov.sa/ar/legislation/JmI0BPgVlA5GuIxkJUi08A) (checked 2026-10-19) - Ministry of Justice: [Law of Legal Practice](https://laws.moj.gov.sa/ar/legislation/PP5rr6HnHC8skiEH5baGkg) (checked 2026-10-19) General information about Saudi law, not legal advice on your situation. For your own case, speak to a licensed lawyer. Contacting us does not create a lawyer–client relationship until an engagement letter is signed. --- Saudi Law is operated by RAED ALI ALJOHANI COMPANY FOR Lawyership and Legal Consultations, licensed in Saudi Arabia. https://saudilaw.co/find-a-lawyer-in-saudi-arabia/questions-to-ask/