To wonder why everyone is a legal expert?!

[Catspaws]

Time and time again on her you see people taking it upon themselves to offer completely bogus legal advice despite having no qualifications to do so. I think people must hear snippets and take it as absolute gospel! Most of the time it's harmless but I do worry that now and then someone might follow bad advice and end up on a sticky wicket!

I'm a lawyer, but never give legal advice on here. I know the implications of getting it wrong.

I agree, some of it is appalling. Whilst I totally agree you treat what people claim to do for a living with a pinch of salt, it’s embarrassing when posters who are clearly wrong argue with people who do actually know what they are talking about.

A lot of people here speak from past experience, so some information might be outdated. Some people just pass on myths that they've heard from other people or online, and some people are actual legal experts. It does say in Legal matters that "If you have any legal concerns [you should] consult a solicitor."

Because they have The Internet, which contains the total sum of human knowledge. Thus, they know everything about everything.

Yes, I'm an accountant, we have the same with "Mate down the pub says"

"They're not allowed to give a bad reference"
"That is definitely constructive dismissal"
"That's discrimination"

It's a real worry.

I work in an industry in which lots of posters have strong opinions, and so many of them are completely misunderstood.

To be fair, I think the onus is on the person consulting a forum of strangers for legal advice and acting on it as if it were solid legal advice, rather than posters offering advice.

I notice mostly that posters give pointers to places an OP could research further. On occasion there is some very good advice given out especially when it comes to benefits/PIP and that sort of thing.

The 30mins free legal advice is often wheeled out on divorce threads; as is chuck his stuff out and change the locks. I think things like common-law-marriage have been widely disparaged on these boards so I wouldn't say its all bad.

Mind you, my department is often asked for an opinion on contracts etc. We tell them we don't have an in-house solicitor, send it out!

Olly The other one is that you don't have to pay parking penalty charges if it's a private car park.

I’m a criminal barrister (or as far as you know I’m a frozen yoghurt server) and for that very reason I’d never give legal advice on an Internet forum

The people who are quick to offer it most likely do so because they don’t have any professional concerns

Everyone's medically qualified too, apparently.
Especially when it comes to my MH issues.

I think it’s fine to offer general advice in your line of work and expertise. But I can see why lawyers would be reluctant to do so.

There's a medical thread running currently where people are shouting that it's negligence and the poster must sue. Yet not one of them appears to understand the test for clinical negligence.

Hopefully the OP will take it as well intentioned but with a large pinch of salt.

Monger the other one is you should pay a parking penalty charge to the sum of 'whatever arbitrary figure the company pluck out of their arse' , no questions asked, because that slip of paper is a holy tablet.

I tend to notice the posts that perhaps don't get the answers they were hoping for and then the OP says 'is there anyone legally/medically (or whatever the subject matter is) qualified?' because they are obviously looking for advice that agrees with their viewpoint!

My background (and qualifications) are in HR, the most popular misconceptions for me are the references (no, they don't have to give one), all jobs must be advertised externally (another no) and that any request for flexible/home working must be agreed even if it's completely unworkable for the business (they can turn it down with a reason).

Don't even get me started on the common-law wife thing. The number of people who think this is a thing - why?

OP wants a divorce? You can get a free half hour with a solicitor!! 🙄🙄🙄 maybe you were able to but not everyone can...

I thought there was some kind of legal principle that ignorance of the law is no defence?

So you can’t just say oh mumsnet told me to (like a 5 year old would).

A forum is useful for pointers and past advice. I think there’s something to be gained in reading relevant threads to your problem in advance of sitting down in real life with someone qualified.

In short - I think people handing out advice on threads is useful. Even if some of it is bogus / ridiculous.

agree op and many are an expert on the Dwp/La etc etc

it makes me cross but some just love to jump in even if the advice is wrong