A valid complaint against solicitor?

luees

We had both given consent for it to be made out to both of us. I have evidence of that. I also have evidence of their admission of the error as it was in the letter to him demanding he return it and they expressed shock that he had taken advantage of the error.

It has been very stressful as you can imagine. Ultimately, I just need to be able to pay my taxes as the rest of the money should be being split between the children eventually. I believe he will still do that - he’s just trying to make me suffer.

AdrianC

The issue isn't the solicitor. A single-named cheque can be paid into a joint account.

The issue is your ex. He paid it into the wrong account, and is now refusing to pay you the half he owes you.

jaybeetoo

I don't understand why you are racking up any fees if the solicitor made a mistake. I hope you haven't paid these fees while a complaint is underway.

You need to follow the complaint procedure which would have been sent to you when you engaged the solicitor. If you no longer have it then it is probably on their web site - if not call them to find out.

Only once you've exhausted the solicitor's complaint procedure you can take it to an ombudsman. Don't employ another solicitor - that's just money down the drain at this age.

As has been said, if the money had been paid into your joint account there would have been nothing to stop your ex husband transferring it to his own account. Personally, I would not have a joint account with an ex.

luees

Unfortunately I have paid the fees as I received a reminder this week (despite not having received the bill that they said they emailed last month) and felt under pressure not to incur the further charges for non payment. I had given the ex a couple of months to do the right thing (my grown up children had also tried to persuade him) and h strung us all along. I had to pay £500 to initiate the letter that was sent to him last month and then received a further bill after that for £570 something.

I have made an enquiry to the ombudsman. If the error hadn’t been made and also, if they had actually carried out the threat in the first letter to him I wouldn’t have incurred these fees.

luees

AdrianC wrote: »

The issue isn't the solicitor. A single-named cheque can be paid into a joint account.

The issue is your ex. He paid it into the wrong account, and is now refusing to pay you the half he owes you.

But surely, if it had been made out to both of us as it should have been, it would have prohibited him from paying it in?

G_M

Good grief! Why are you paying them?


Look up th firm's complaints procedure and follow it. As welas complaining about the missing money, complain about the fees you are being charged.


If you don't get saisfaction in response, report it to the ombudsman.

kinger101

luees wrote: »

But surely, if it had been made out to both of us as it should have been, it would have prohibited him from paying it in?

It wouldn't have prohibited him from drawing it all all of the joint account though. You need to close that ASAP.