A40 London New Average Speed Cameras?

matttye

BykerSands wrote: »

You have to love the ASBO brigade who demand a solicitor now and get sent a legal advisor.

Most smart people care about the competency of the advice rather than the status of the person giving it. You must be a materialistic person.

BykerSands

matttye wrote: »

Most smart people care about the competency of the advice rather than the status of the person giving it. You must be a materialistic person.

No, just someone who know the damage a legal advisor can cause. I've yet to see an honest one who actually informs their client they are not really a solicitor.

matttye

BykerSands wrote: »

No, just someone who know the damage a legal advisor can cause. I've yet to see an honest one who actually informs their client they are not really a solicitor.

An incompetent legal advisor can cause damage just like an incompetent solicitor or barrister can. It's not the status of the person that matters but the competency of the advice. Accredited police station representatives have to pass almost identical exams to duty solicitors (PSRAS / PSQ are very similar). Solicitors know a lot more law because they have to know a lot more law. Police station reps don't attend court for example so only need a rudimentary knowledge of the law governing court procedure - I.e. That which is relevant to the advice they give at the police station. Whereas a solicitor has to actually attend and represent people in court so requires greater knowledge.

There's also a much higher volume of cases in court each day than in the police station so they do cover a more wide range of offences which they will be familiar of the law on.

No matter how experienced the person giving advice, they will always come across something at some point which they don't know the answer to. The important thing I find is not to try and bullcrap your way through but just admit you don't know. I'd rather be criticised for saying I don't know the answer than giving incorrect advice!

My business card which I give to every client has my status on it. It doesn't help when everyone refers to us as solicitors - the police, the Legal Aid Agency and others.

BykerSands

matttye wrote: »

An incompetent legal advisor can cause damage just like an incompetent solicitor or barrister can. It's not the status of the person that matters but the competency of the advice. Accredited police station representatives have to pass almost identical exams to duty solicitors (PSRAS / PSQ are very similar). Solicitors know a lot more law because they have to know a lot more law. Police station reps don't attend court for example so only need a rudimentary knowledge of the law governing court procedure - I.e. That which is relevant to the advice they give at the police station. Whereas a solicitor has to actually attend and represent people in court so requires greater knowledge.

There's also a much higher volume of cases in court each day than in the police station so they do cover a more wide range of offences which they will be familiar of the law on.

No matter how experienced the person giving advice, they will always come across something at some point which they don't know the answer to. The important thing I find is not to try and bullcrap your way through but just admit you don't know. I'd rather be criticised for saying I don't know the answer than giving incorrect advice!

My business card which I give to every client has my status on it. It doesn't help when everyone refers to us as solicitors - the police, the Legal Aid Agency and others.

So a lesser qualification and no degree?

Which ever way you dress it up its legal advice on the cheap.

matttye

BykerSands wrote: »

So a lesser qualification and no degree?

Which ever way you dress it up its legal advice on the cheap.

A degree isn't the be all and end all. You can become a judge without a degree these days if you take the CILEx route.

Solicitors and reps get paid the same at the police station. The government pays fixed fees.

The only exception to this is for certain serious offences e.g. Murder / treason / etc. and only in the calculation of an 'escape fee'. Even though the government pays fixed fees for police station attendances, there is still a corresponding hourly rate (which is not actually paid out usually). If the fee calculated at hourly rates reaches three times the amount of the fixed fee, an escape fee becomes payable. This means that for all of the work done up to the point where the hourly rate fee becomes three times the fixed fee, the only thing payable is the fixed fee. However, any additional work beyond that is paid at the hourly rate. Duty solicitors are paid slightly more per hour than reps for serious offences. Escape fees are very rare; my firm is lucky to get one a year. Some bigger firms dealing with a lot of high profile cases probably get them more often.

In other words: it's no cheaper to pay a rep than it is a solicitor.

BykerSands

matttye wrote: »

A degree isn't the be all and end all. You can become a judge without a degree these days if you take the CILEx route.

Solicitors and reps get paid the same at the police station. The government pays fixed fees.

The only exception to this is for certain serious offences e.g. Murder / treason / etc. and only in the calculation of an 'escape fee'. Even though the government pays fixed fees for police station attendances, there is still a corresponding hourly rate (which is not actually paid out usually). If the fee calculated at hourly rates reaches three times the amount of the fixed fee, an escape fee becomes payable. This means that for all of the work done up to the point where the hourly rate fee becomes three times the fixed fee, the only thing payable is the fixed fee. However, any additional work beyond that is paid at the hourly rate. Duty solicitors are paid slightly more per hour than reps for serious offences. Escape fees are very rare; my firm is lucky to get one a year. Some bigger firms dealing with a lot of high profile cases probably get them more often.

In other words: it's no cheaper to pay a rep than it is a solicitor.

Exactly, solicitors fees have been reduced match legal advisors. Sub trained staff have reduced everyone's fees. Advice at a police station is about getting it cheap and not justice.

matttye

BykerSands wrote: »

Exactly, solicitors fees have been reduced match legal advisors. Sub trained staff have reduced everyone's fees. Advice at a police station is about getting it cheap and not justice.

Fees have been reduced because people milked the system by sitting at the police station all day getting paid hourly rates for waiting. They decided a fixed fee system was less prone to abuse. Now you have the opposite problem, with people wanting to get out as soon as possible because they get paid the same whether they're there for one hour or six.

Reps go through similar exams to solicitors to demonstrate their competence in giving advice at the police station. Both require you to pass a written exam, a portfolio of cases and a critical incidents test (which is where you are played audio scenarios of events that could happen at the police station and then have to record your responses). In many respects I'd rather have a rep who spends all their time at the police station representing me rather than a solicitor who spends all their time at court.

BykerSands

matttye wrote: »

Fees have been reduced because people milked the system by sitting at the police station all day getting paid hourly rates for waiting. They decided a fixed fee system was less prone to abuse. Now you have the opposite problem, with people wanting to get out as soon as possible because they get paid the same whether they're there for one hour or six.

Reps go through similar exams to solicitors to demonstrate their competence in giving advice at the police station. Both require you to pass a written exam, a portfolio of cases and a critical incidents test (which is where you are played audio scenarios of events that could happen at the police station and then have to record your responses). In many respects I'd rather have a rep who spends all their time at the police station representing me rather than a solicitor who spends all their time at court.

You don't get if and that's why they can get away with it.

matttye

BykerSands wrote: »

You don't get if and that's why they can get away with it.

I don't get what and that's why who can get away with what?

konn1ch1ha

Mercdriver wrote: »

To the OP, if you have an accident or your car gets broke into and your drums are stolen, good luck getting anything out of your insurer. At the very best you will get second hand value for them unless they are insured through another means...which will reveal your employment part time or otherwise as it will be shared on the Insurer's database.

There's the old musician's joke:

What happens when a drummer isn't keeping time very well?
They take one of his sticks off him and make him a conductor! (Ta-dum Tish!)

Good luck breaking into my car with equipment in, bro!

HNY.