Why would you insist on an adviser who is too busy?

[ResIpsaLoquitur]

Sort of follows on from the thread about people expecting free advice. I recently had someone absolutely insistent that I take their case despite being told that I simply had no time, and that if I did take the case I wouldn't be able to do it properly. He even threatened to report me to my professional body unless I agreed to take him on. Needless to say, I told him to feel free to do so.

Why on earth would you even want to put your trust in someone who was telling you they had no time to give you the help you need and who has had to be forced to take your case by threats?

We're they in a desperate situation....

Of course not a reason to try and blackmail you....

Not a massively urgent situation, no. I'm not sure if they thought I was the only person who could do the case (needless to say, I'm not!) or if they thought I was lying about being unable to take it. It's not the first time I've had something like this, but this was probably the most extreme.

The only think I could think of was that they thought you were the best person to help them.

I approached a law firm once I knew was over run with clients (specialist area of law, so few solicitors, and one of the best) I asked for them to see me to discuss my concerns - as I knew they were too busy to help anyone and was desperate. The senior partner saw me, with a scowl and making it clear he definitely did not want to help me. I asked to explain, did, and he agreed to take me on and dealt with me personally and professionally throughout.

However, had he said no after me explaining, and I did make it clear it was complex and would take a lot of work (I'd researched the area as much as I could myself before seeing him) but thought it might prove interesting professionally (luckily for me it did!) I wouldn't have approached the law society to complain if he said no (which I was prepared for).

X-post I see that wasn't the same thing in this case. Sorry. Internet keeps dropping and I forgot to refresh page before posting

I manage a specialist advice service. People do tend to come to us when they are desperate, and the area I am in means that when it is desperate, it is really desperate. We are completely over run at the moment and I have stated that as we are at maximum capacity we can't take on anymore work for a few weeks. But it is the people whose issues are not serious in any way and life impacting that beg us to take their bloody cases. They beg and plead and threaten to report us to the ombudsman. Why? I totally agree OP. Bloody nightmare!

I'm a cleaner and like hell would I work for free.

I mean you wouldn't ask your childminder for free evening work so you could go out, you wouldn't ask a postal worker to delivery your Christmas cards to the neighbours or you wouldn't ask for a free sandwich from a bakery.

So why is this any different to asking someone from an advice/legal matter.

Friend of mine is a solicitor in a fairly specialist area. He regularly gets people coming to him with some incredibly complex case which they expect him to take on pro bono because they say it's so important and will make his name. He doesn't need or want his name made, and as he points out, unfortunately if he can't pay his mortgage his Building Society is going to be totally uninterested in the fact that it's because he's been working for free on the alleged case of the century.

He also tells the tale of the person who was eager for him to take his case on legal aid but strangely reluctant to bring in proof that he was entitled to it. The potential client was incredibly demanding, threatening to make formal complaints if friend wasn't available to take his calls instantly. Ultimately friend told him if he didn't produce proof of his means he'd have to close the file, and ultimately did so. Whereupon Mr Demanding went ape, suggesting prejudice and all sorts, and finally claimed that his long lost uncle had given him megabucks to pursue the case and friend had therefore missed out on said megabucks. Friend didn't believe a word of it but said that even if it was true, life was too short to continue dealing with this man.

I suppose in the nature of things solicitors get more than their fair share of difficult people to deal with. But no doubt other professionals will say different ...