Problems with a solicitor

[julian64]

Anyone here know where to write to if you are unhappy with a solictor.

Long story short I contracted a solictor for a bit of estate planning when moving house, only a simple trust. Six months later paperwork gets supplied with wrong house wrong names and a reasonably shoddy piece of work. The trust was set up for the wrong people. Apparently this is because the solictor dealing with me left for Africa and the attendance notes he took were passed on to another solictor in the company who's had it in his 'do later' tray.

I write back with all the alterations a few weeks ago, and have heard nothing. So thinking I'm in for another six months of waiting I write to them to say fini.

Now they write back saying they want all the money because the paperwork could be taken to another solicitor just to be finished off. And that they are considering increasing the fee because of my alterations. ( the alterations were name changes, they had got wrong)

So when I write them a poison pen letter who do I threaten them with?

[Gruber]

This is what you need:

http://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/consumers.page

[Mr GrimNasty]

http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/consumer/index.ht...
http://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-so...

Any bill should be accompanied with info. that tells you how to dispute it. I expect they want the money first as they're worried you'll dispute the bill because they've messed up. That means they'll have to produce accurate records to justify all the charges/time spent.

I'd just document the situation/your complaints (keep a copy) and send it to your solicitor without threats in the first instance, copy in a senior partner/compliance officer if there is one.

[Jasandjules]

First thing to do is write to the parter or whomever it says to within the complaints procedure of that firm....

[Lurking Lawyer]

Jasandjules said:

First thing to do is write to the parter or whomever it says to within the complaints procedure of that firm....

Quite so.

If you get no joy there, try complaining to the Legal Ombudsman Service.

(Forget the SRA. If your complaint is poor service rather than professional misconduct, the SRA probably won't be able to help)

[julian64]

Thanks guys. Unfortunately this is one of the partners.

I take all your replies on board, thanks for the help. I've written a fairly benign letter requesting completion of the work, or possibly their idea of a walk away fee.

I'll let you know what happens

[Jasandjules]

julian64 said:

Thanks guys. Unfortunately this is one of the partners.

I take all your replies on board, thanks for the help. I've written a fairly benign letter requesting completion of the work, or possibly their idea of a walk away fee.

I'll let you know what happens

Then another partner will be assigned to investigate. Just call the firm and ask them to whom a complaint about X should be made.

[richardxjr]

a) Raise a formal complaint to the firm in writing.

b) Give them 8 weeks to either deal with it satisfactorily or not

c) Take it to the Legal Ombudsman (phone them first for guidance)


Going that route atm myself. My solr refused to accept my formal complaint to them, so it's straight to the Ombudsman. I emailed my outline complaint to them today, got a reply and spoke to an assessor there same day.

Ombudsman accepts only about 10% of complaints to investigate (the others get rejected mostly for procedural reasons ie not exhausting the solrs internal complaint procedure first). Once they accept a case to investigate, it costs the solr £400 whether the complaint is eventually upheld or not.

It's free to the complainer, and a Solr cannot charge you for receiving or dealing with your complaint either.