AIBU to think solicitor would not do this?

[Orwell1998]

Hi all, a close friend of mine has a very jealous ex. He spotted her out with her new partner last week.
I say this as background info.
Anyway, she received a letter from a solicitor today asking her to refrain from doing something. I cannot go into details but it is something she wants to do which would have a punitive effect on her should she be not allowed to do it.

The letter-she has never had communications from this firm before - addresses her by her first name.
For example, it says Dear Anne NOT Dear Mrs Jones. Or Dear Mrs Anne Jones.
(obviously not real names, just to illustrate point).

The solicitors firm does exist.
I just find it odd that a solicitor would do this. Address someone as Dear first name only.
AIBU? I just don't know.

Seems most odd. Maybe the ex sent a mock letter. Has she contacted the solicitors about it?

Generally, solicitors will act on the instructions of their client. It doesn’t mean they agree with the request.

Although it’s a bit difficult to say without knowing the request, provided that she isn’t be asked to do anything illegal then many solicitors will write absurd letters.

As for the addressing someone by their first name it’s become increasingly common.

That does sound very odd, but unless what she is doing is illegal, or detrimental to any joint DC’s or specifically linked to a property dispute or causing a detrimental impact on someone else. I can not thinking any reason a solicitor would do this.

Does the paper look authentic, solicitors tend to use heavy quality paper, maybe someone has copied the heading. Who signed the letter, are they listed as a contact?

Well firstly a solicitor acts on behalf of the client so will send any letter as long as not illegal. Secondly she can call them and ask if they sent it.

I had a similar letter once. I rang them and they admitted they hadn't the full story 🙄 they said to forget about it
Challenge it

Typically we tend towards formality in communications but calling her Anne doesn’t prove its fake. Can you not tell by the content of the letter.

She should just call them though. All she needs to say is that she isn’t commenting on their letter but just wants to check that its genuine.

I would agree ring them and ask to speak to the person and confirm that it has been sent

We don't use first names unless they are known to us. Any correspondence to a stranger is Dear Madam or Dear Sir and to a potential respondent/defendant it would always be Dear Sir/Madam, never first name so this does seem a bit odd but not imposable.

As solicitors we do act upon instructions and have some bat shit requests but as long as it's not unlawful or illegal we will usually act

It depends on what it's about. If it's telling her not to go paddle boarding then it's rubbish. If it's about not taking kids out the country for a holiday or not starting an extension on a jointly owned home then there may be merit in the letter. She needs to call the solicitor.

Does the letter not say why she should not do the thing in question? Usually a solicitors letter would say why, e.g. infringes their client’s right to x, risks causing their client x damage- it’s part of building a case. If it just says don’t do x, then it’s probably bollocks, but I’d ring them and say you’ve received this letter out of the blue, what is it about and who are they acting for.

Thanks for replies. I can't comment on contents of letter but the addressing someone as first name seems off to me.
Then again, I don't know enough about these things. Maybe it's acceptable in the legal world to do this.
Tips on spotting a fake would be useful though of course I'm just going to suggest she simply contact them and ask if they sent letter.
If it's fake I imagine there's some law against impersonating a solicitor!
Thanks.

I think some law firms are moving away from dear sir/madam and even mr/Mrs out of some misguided attempt not to offend. Not mine, but I’ve heard about it.

Contact the solicitor. Nobody here can tell you for sure - they can tell you what their experience is, or what their firm would do, but that's it.

The actual solicitor can tell her if this is legit; and what the backstory is.

A solicitors letter will be on headed paper. It will also have the solicitors sra number on it in the footer generally with a list of partners or directing you to the list or the company registration number and the registered office address.

Tips on spotting a fake?
Your friend rings the solicitor and asks if they sent the letter.

It will also typically start with something like “we are instructed by Mr Bloggs in relation to your recent contact in bigville town centre”

Personally I wouldn't call them, tell her to write to them asking them to clarify the contents of the letter, if they do then find something in the 2nd letter to query, tell her to keep this up as long as she can.
Solicitors charge for every letter they write.

Have you seen the letter? They're often phrased in a certain way, for instance "our client requests...". A solicitor knows they cannot tell an individual what to do, but they can (on behalf of a client) request that they do not do x, and explain to what might happen if they do that thing (e.g. applying for a prohibited steps order).

@1099 Pointless exercise. The sol will not continue communications without the agreement of their client, and if the letter was sufficiently clear, they have no need to send further clarifications. Should the issue end up in court, a judge will have access to the communications, and will not appreciate a respondent playing such games.

Solicitors are human beings. Give them a call to confirm the letter was from them, they won't mind. Should you need legal advice you then need to consult your own solicitor, not keep writing to the complainant's sol!

Are you sure they're a real solicitor ( even if it is a real firm) ? Try checking the register for their name. Google SRA register.

Dear Ann sounds odd to me but its possible. DP had letter from a solicitor yesterday which started " Dear Mr listsand budgets" We have quite a few legal matters going on and generally the only legal people who address us by first name are a) instructed by us and b) have been working with us for some time at that point we also use their first name.

Hmm. Consensus seems to point towards that solicitors would not use Dear first name. She's just going to have to ask, though. Only way to discover truth.
The fact that her ex has history of acting impulsively also supports my gut feeling this is a fake.
Thanks for replies.

Ask here whether the solicitor is registered with the SRA. Myself I think fake. www.sra.org.uk/consumers/

To add: especially to people they have had no prior communications with.
No harm in confirming with solicitors if they sent it or not.
I think he's in trouble if it is fake because it seems unreasonable that anyone else would fake such a letter though, of course, possible.

A solicitor’s letter is not a legal request. It’s not an instruction from a court of law for example. I can instruct my solicitor to ask my neighbour not to park on my drive - but my neighbour can ignore the letter as it has no authority.