Urgent advice needed re Solicitor's fees.

vaio

kazzah60 wrote: »

you need to contact the solicitors regulation authority- as far as I know a solicitor is LEGALLY bound to inform clients of costs at periodic intervals throughout the process and DEFINITELY when a client has requested such costs

there is potential here for the solicitor to be disciplined and I would report him ASAP and get some advice from the SRA

Yep, and I also think there is an obligation to do a letter of engagement which should outline the fees and likely total costs

Equaliser123

Used to be called "Rule 15 letters" (in my day...) which are REQUIRED to set out all the details as to costs, complaints, what the fee will include, etc. etc. They are not optional and the solicitor can get into deep problems if it has not been provided.

Further, solicitors are required to provide "best information as to costs". In other words, the full consequences should have been communicated to you in writing at the time of instruction and regular updates ought to have been provided.

You need to resist this bill.

bris

It sounds like it was a complex case that the tenant fought all the way, throwing a claim for disrepair into the mix.

At around £200+VAT per hour it wouldn't take long to run up a 15k bill, considering the charge for every letter and phone call they send and make or receive the bill can soon mount up.

As the case was a couple of years ago the solicitor could easily say the op was provided all the details required including costings which may very well be the case. The OP admits to being so caught up by the case he could very easily have had the information within a mountain of paperwork that would have came his way.

The bill may very well be correct, if the solicitor does decide to press ahead with legal action you can bet you bottom dollar he has all his bases covered.

OP if you do get court papers through you will need to see the evidence the solicitor has against you and take legal advice on the matter, this time get a cost before proceeding.

somethingcorporate

bris wrote: »

It sounds like it was a complex case that the tenant fought all the way, throwing a claim for disrepair into the mix.

At around £200+VAT per hour it wouldn't take long to run up a 15k bill, considering the charge for every letter and phone call they send and make or receive the bill can soon mount up.

As the case was a couple of years ago the solicitor could easily say the op was provided all the details required including costings which may very well be the case. The OP admits to being so caught up by the case he could very easily have had the information within a mountain of paperwork that would have came his way.

The bill may very well be correct, if the solicitor does decide to press ahead with legal action you can bet you bottom dollar he has all his bases covered.

OP if you do get court papers through you will need to see the evidence the solicitor has against you and take legal advice on the matter, this time get a cost before proceeding.

Or he could just be a really poorly organised and unprofessional solicitor who is just huffing and puffing and knows if challenged he stands little chance in being able to get this bill paid.

antrobus

bris wrote: »

.. The OP admits to being so caught up by the case he could very easily have had the information within a mountain of paperwork that would have came his way....

No he doesn't. OP stated:-

Diablo96 wrote: »

...
Although I was so caught up in fighting the case, I did notice that he never mentioned what costs I was incurring. I verbally asked on several occasions and also have emails in which I asked him for costs to date and for an estimate going forward. He never provided either.

Anyway; these links might be of some help

http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/for-the-public/paying-for-legal-services/
http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/consumer/toptips.html

agrinnall

And this link for The Solicitors Regulation Authority http://www.sra.org.uk/home/home.page

melb

why did he leave it 2 years before sending you the bill i wonder