Law Society

gillykins

Hi moneysavers,
Just thought I'd ask if anyone has had any luck asking the law society to deal with something for them? The law society is dealing with an incompetent solicitor for me and I'd like to know if anyone has been through anything similar. My case has been going on since 2002 but I have only just dumped the solicitor, having run out of patience with his stalling and excuses. The law society had the case on hold, giving the solicitor a chance to wrap things up over my SIMPLE!!! divorce case. I've just written back to the law soc. asking them to re-open the case.

pinkpauline34

Hi Gillykins

I have used the Law Society (in England) to report an incompetent former solicitor that I had the misfortune to instruct. It was a very long winded process (almost a year) with lots of letters backwards and forwards but I did finally get an award of compensation due to his incompetence. The highest amount of compo you can claim for is £1k and the general award is £750 which is better than a smack in the mouth. My case dragged on from 2002 - 2005 - a lot of the delays were caused by my ex but most of them were by my incompetent solicitor.

I found their helpline very useful. I called them up and asked them to send me the relevant Forms and just took it from there. I am sure you realise that you have to contact the solicitors firm first to lodge a complaint before the Law Society will help you.

If you need any further help, just ask away!

gillykins

I've already complained to the solicitor, twice. First time they failed to reply, even though I'd sent the letter by registered post. The second time they promised to finish the case off free of charge, however I'd already paid them £1350 promptly for court costs, fees etc. The law soc. said they would investigate when he had finished the case and wrote to him stating so.

Seven years later! Honestly, it's been seven years of constant phone calls with rarely a reply (unless I mither), four appointments HE never turned up for. Anxiety, antidepressants, life on hold and worst of all feeling powerless. In the paperwork from the LS it says max compensation £5000 for one type of complaint and £1000 for another, I think incompetence is one and mis conduct is the other. Anyway, watch this space cos I've dumped him now and filed for decree absolute myself. Sad that I've already paid for this once though.

MissMoneypenny

gillykins wrote:

Just thought I'd ask if anyone has had any luck asking the law society to deal with something for them? The law society is dealing with an incompetent solicitor for me and I'd like to know if anyone has been through anything similar.

I have used them 3 times - well actually used them twice and threatened a solicitor with them once (he then paid up the £740 he owed me). The LS were brilliant. On the first occasion (a few years ago), the LS spotted something else that my solicitor had "forgotten" to do. The senior partener at the solicitors who deals with complaints tried a lot of tricks to get me to drop the case, but I kept going. The Law Society ordered the solicitors to pay me a total of just over £3,000. They appealed saying it was too much, so I appealed saying it was too little. I won the appeal and the solicitors had to pay me even more (about £3,500.00 as I recall). The Law Society were very supportive and slated the solicitor who had accused me of lying. I porduced the written evidence to show the solicitor was the pne who was lying.

The second time I involed the LS, they settled it with the solicitors over the phone and it was sorted in days.

Just make sure that you have complained in writing to the solicitor who deals with complaints, at the firm you are using. Then when you write a list of the complaints to the LS, you have to be really clear, almost to the point of being rude. Try and get the same person at the Law Society to help you. I spoke a lot on the phone to the person at the LS helping me the first time and she
was very helpful in giving me pointers.

I can't find the button to check the spelling in this mail, so sorry for the spelling errors.

pinkpauline34

Isn't it incredible the effect these two little words (Law Society) can have on a solicitor! I'm glad you got the result you wanted, Miss Moneypenny and I hope Gillykins gets a good result too. What I don't agree with though is that there is no central register that the general public can access to see what kind of track record a solicitor has - mine just got a wrap on the knuckles and I feel sorry for any future client of his who is maybe not aware of their rights - I'd hate to think he will treat someone the way that he treated me.

I have just instructed a solicitor on a dental negligence case that I am pursuing - if I was able to represent myself, I'd gladly do so but dental negligence isn't my strong point. I've been bitten once and won't be again - I know what "service" I should expect to receive and if I don't get it, I'll be using the two magic words too!

Do let me know how your case proceeds and the very best of luck with it.

MissMoneypenny

pinkpauline34 wrote:

I have just instructed a solicitor on a dental negligence case that I am pursuing - if I was able to represent myself, I'd gladly do so but dental negligence isn't my strong point. I've been bitten once and won't be again - I know what "service" I should expect to receive and if I don't get it, I'll be using the two magic words too!

I have a case going on dental negligence too, but I am on my third solicitor for that case. As it seems to be that solicitors are in the clear as long as they are doing what is best in their opinion, I have adopted a "never throw good money after bad" system with them.

Yes it is shame that we don't have a central register for solicitors. We could do with one for doctors and dentists too. I have given up trying to find a good dentist.

jazzyjustlaw

Simple Divorce - no such thing same as simple marriage.

I do believe 7 years is a long time. Divorces can be lengthy if the other side is not amicable and I assume you had finances. If your Divorce was simple that means i.e. no money no property and your partner agreed, why did you wait 7 years to sack your Solicitor?