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AIBU?

to think people shouldn't give out legal advice on here when they don't know what they're talking about

169 replies

BooBearBoo · 22/05/2011 16:24

I have read SO MANY threads on here with posted giving out advice as if it is gospel and it is totally wrong.

I've had to clear up nonsense on two threads in as many days.

Why do people think this is ok to do????!!!!!! It's dangerous!

OP posts:

Report

strandedbear · 22/05/2011 16:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

deliakate · 22/05/2011 16:26

Who comes here for legal advice? More fool them, I'd say. There are plenty of free resources online and irl (CAB, Local Council, Home Office etc etc) to look at. If you want an chat though and a bit of a moan, its great.

beesimo · 22/05/2011 16:28

Agree entirely OP there is one poster on here in particular who posts as a landlord and offers advice that is frankly crap. One of her gems was it is better to show a slight loss on a property for tax reasons?????

Jins · 22/05/2011 16:35

YANBU. I've seen some shaky planning advice as well

EverythingInMiniature · 22/05/2011 16:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

figgygal · 22/05/2011 16:37

It worries me too being in HR the amount of advice people give about sick pay, maternity pay, employment law based on their own very specific set of experiences and circumstances as if it's gospel. can appreciate they r trying be helpful but people need to make it clear the basis it's being given on.

BooBearBoo · 22/05/2011 16:42

Yes and the problem is you get people saying "The law is X" with no indication of their qualification to make such assertion!

I hate doing it but I now always say - I am a barrister e.g. I am right!!!! You can trust what I say! Honestly I HATE saying this for so many reasons but I just can't leave some of these threads full of what is basically 4/5 pages of total crap.

OP posts:

dogzandcatz · 22/05/2011 16:45

tbh lots of advice given on here, medical, legal, animal, emotional, is just plain wrong and potentially harmful

shrugs, if someone is daft enough to take advice from someone who might be the school cleaner, thats their lookout

dogzandcatz · 22/05/2011 16:46

also people rush in with advice without asking the most basic of questions like where in the world are you, whats your marital status etc etc

beesimo · 22/05/2011 16:51

dogzandcatz

Meow

LUV ALL SKOOL CLEENERS

deliakate · 22/05/2011 16:53

People talk crap all the time. It makes the world go around!

TattyDevine · 22/05/2011 16:59

Beesimo there is a tax implication if your rent received is more than your mortgage repayment on that property as it is then classed as income etc. Its complicated.

LRDTheFeministDragon · 22/05/2011 17:00

Mmm, I think you're being a bit sensitive. No-one in their right mind thinks coming on here is the same as getting legal advice and MN has a disclaimer to that effect on some sections.

I don't really see the problem - on Friday I had a problem and got lots of advice, I didn't assume it was 'legal advice', but it helped me to think through the problem anyway.

Don't really see how you could be 'clearing up' issues either - no offense intended, but for all we know you could be as wrong as anyone else.

LRDTheFeministDragon · 22/05/2011 17:03

Btw (and I posted this on the thread you're talking about), it's very simple to ask people to link to their source for legal information, so you can tell very quickly if someone doesn't have any evidence beyond 'well this is what I think', can't you?

TheFlyingOnion · 22/05/2011 17:03

yup there's some absolutely horrendous "legal" advice being chucked around, particularly on employment law which is a minefield even if its "your" area.

I'd like to think its all taken with a pinch of salt but some people come across so convincingly that I bet they are believed by others.

Easy to give your tuppence worth to a complete stranger over the internet without actually having any idea what you're going on about or, as someone else said, checking basic facts....

geordieminx · 22/05/2011 17:07

There was a thread a while back where the OP had a serious burn.

Far too many people coming out with crack pot advice, cover it in sudocrem/cling film/wet clothes. Some half wits were even encoraging her to cover it in butter or oil or something equally as fucking stupid... She had a severe burn... She wasn't cooking a salmon fillet.

Although on the flip side, I get equally annoyed with posters than come on and say "my husband has fallen down the stairs, his arm and leg are hanging off, and I think he may have swallowed some poison on the way down...what should I do?"

"Er get the fuck OFF the computer and take him to hospital"

Talk about no brainer

BooBearBoo · 22/05/2011 17:07

Yes employment law is definitely the main one on here. And what with limitation being so short for making a claim it is just so worrying!!

OP posts:

deliakate · 22/05/2011 17:08

Exactly, LRD. Working in Starbucks didn't require a law degree last time I looked.

BooBearBoo · 22/05/2011 17:08

Actually I can imagine bad medical advice is far worse than bad legal advice!!!!!

OP posts:

BooBearBoo · 22/05/2011 17:09

deliakate -

OP posts:

Georgimama · 22/05/2011 17:09

Anyone can google though LRD. I can't paste you a link to my four years of law school and six years of legal practice. Well I could link you up to the page on the Law Society website which proves that I am a qualified solicitor on the roll, but I'm not going to.

Punkatheart · 22/05/2011 17:12

I agree in part. I hope I haven't given out any daft advice. (Thinks hard)

But there are times when going on a forum is odd - having a severe burn is really one of them. The ONLY advice there should be to seek medical help. But I have helped with people with sick chickens - although I always advocate a vet if things get worse or I don't understand the illness.

Great place for opinions and I value a lot of the information - but I will always check before I act on anything I read here.

Just common sense really....

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TheFlyingOnion · 22/05/2011 17:15

yes I'm a bit when posters say "the dog hasn't eaten for 3 days and can barely walk" - er, go to the vets!!!

LRDTheFeministDragon · 22/05/2011 17:15

Exactly, georgi, you can't prove you're a lawyer (though I am sure you are if you say you are). It's just not sensible for anyone to take legal (or medical) advice on here as more than what it is - opinion from an anonymous source.

As to googling, it can be very helpful to have someone find exactly the right link for you - if you're new to a situation you may have no idea what google search will bring up the goods.

Georgimama · 22/05/2011 17:18

Oh I don't expect anyone to act on my advice if they don't want to, but to say that we all need to start referencing our advice/opinions on the legal/medical threads is a bit steep. I don't need to linkie to explain what say, negligence is, and if someone doesn't understand me they can google it themselves. On that basis I can't "link to their source for legal information" as you suggest, because it is in my brain. And the professional sources I use I don't have access to at home, and you wouldn't be able to access from a link either.

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