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I was made redundant 6 months ago and have since set up my own business as an interior designer. I decided that I would contact my previous clients from my old firm to see if I could offer them my services. My old boss found out and is asking me to explain myself. I can understand that she is annoyed but am I being unreasonable to think that I am not answerable to her anymore?

In the 10 years that I worked for her she never paid me particularly well and she was extremely controlling. I see my redundancy as a blessing now as I can progress without her. She is retiring in 2 years and I want to capture the business that will float into the ether as she winds down.

She is rolling in money by the way, with several properties, whereas I am a single mum with 4 kids to feed.

I have put myself and my family before her but this is business and she did make me redundant.

Did you have anything in your contract about poaching clients?

Was there any confidentiality agreement or contract stating you couldn't set up on your own?

If you haven't broken any contract, you don't need to explain yourself.

She has no right to ask you to explain yourself, and you have every right not to answer her question. But if you do want to, then teller the truth. Your explanation is that even if she no longer needs you, you still need to earn a living.

Keep the last two sentences of your OP well away from any communications you have with her. They are irrelevant.

Yabu. They are her clients. You wouldn't even know them as contacts if it weren't for the work she gave you as her employee.

Being controlling and not paying you particularly well are separate issues.

You say in your 2nd paragraph that you see your redundancy as a blessing, yet are posting about it negatively again in paragraph 4 to suit your argument.

If there's nothing in your contract about soliciting clients, then there is no issue with you contacting them. However, your comment:

She is rolling in money by the way, with several properties, whereas I am a single mum with 4 kids to feed.

is irrelevant really, if your contract said you shouldn't contact her clients and you sound quite petty.

Yanbu, I'd check your contract if I were you, unless there's no mention of not poaching clients she could sue you

AYBU or not depends on the contract that you had in your last job.

Only you (and you old boss) know the answer to that.

I agree with a pp that you are not answerable to her at all, but have you signed any contract limiting what work you can do or the poaching of clients etc?

Your last two paragraphs are completely irrelevant.

What did it say in your contract?
What is your relationship with the clients vs her relationship? It sounds like they've let her know that you've been trying to poach them so it's likely they have a good relationship with her. How are you going about trying to get their business?
If she really is winding down her business then there's an opportunity for you to have an adult conversation and see if there's a way of her passing on opportunities to you, obviously with some sort of financial recompense. That's obviously not going to happen if you keep moaning about how successful she is - I presume that's why you've gone into business, in order to become 'rolling in money'?

I personally think that most clients see this as a little grubby and are not likely to look favourably on it. You may have 1 or 2 that you did some amazing work for and they are inclined to pick back up with you but the wholesale targeting of her base when you worked for her for 10 years..........not nice. How has she got to hear about it? I imagine one of the clients has told her which speaks volumes.
I've been on the other side of this and had a "scorned ex-employee" target our client base. 3 years on she has taken diddly squat from us and many clients contacted us to say how low-grade they perceived it to be.

Yanbu in many industries this is just par for the course hence contracts have no poaching clauses (but ex employer has to pay for this). If you're better you'll get the business, if not then you won't. Simple

There is no poaching clause in my old contract. There is nothing to legally prevent me from doing this.

Yes, the last 2 paragraphs sound petty. I suppose I am trying to morally justify it as I know she will never starve.

Some clients may think it is "low grade" but so what? I've not lost anything by not attracting them as new clients.

My philosophy is some you win, some you don't.

Legally this is a grey area - your 'knowledge' of the clients (contact details, preferences etc) belong to your old employer and you shouldn't use them to get work. Unlikely for her to sue though.

your and her personal circumstances have nothing to do with it. you cannot justify an action by saying you are a single mum and she is loaded.

the actual answer is whether there is anything in your contract about this?

Legally this is problematic. You are wrong to think that it depends on whether or not there is a non-competition clause in your contract; there may still be a breach of fidelity, a breach of confidence and implied terms of the employment agreement.

How do you know the details of the old clients? Are they in your head, or did you make lists / copies of her records before you left her business? How long after leaving her business did you contact her clients? She is already aware you've been doing this and she has every right to protect her business... I think you'd be mad not to start afresh - and wait to see if some of these clients might, in the fullness of time, come to you.

Proceed with caution. If she's "rolling in it," there is every chance you'll get sued, which will scupper your new business before it's off the ground.

Under European law the OP has the right to earn a living, after a reasonable period of time say 6 months you would be perfectly entitled to get on the phone and solicit these clients.
If there was something in the contract stating longer than 6 months that would be deemed unreasonable contract terms.

I had no clause in any contract because I never had a contract and technically was self employed. I was not made redundant in the legal sense of the word. The clients are all on my own personal computer as I used it to complete work for her. This person stopped giving me work 6 months ago.

Sorry, I should have explained that more clearly first. I didn't want to give out too many specifics for obvious reasons.

I'd say you were all right then, OP.

If you were self employed, that does muddle things. You should probably seek legal advice.

I'd speak to a solicitor before you do anymore op. My prev employer successfully sued someone for £16k who took some old clients with her, that's without any specific no poaching clause in our contracts.

I don't think you'll get sued. She should have taken steps to protect her interests. She didn't. Even if she had, her protections would likely be running out after six months. As long as you didn't steal physical client lists, I don't see the problem. Obviously not everyone is going to like it but its just business at the end of the day.

I would just be careful of your professional reputation OP. Clients may not know your set-up with your former employer/contractor and think as many posters here do that what you're doing is unethical. Might be better to bide your time if she's retiring in a few years as you could get more clients then perhaps from her?

Also it doesn't matter if the info is on your own pc. It comes under 'intellectual property' owned by the business