Solicitor messing up my case - should I change

[Janeismymiddlename84]

Did anyone change solicitor late in the game? My solicitor is truly terrible and causing me more hassle than good.
Heading quickly towards FH and have no faith in her whatsoever.
Not fighting my corner and letting my exH get away with everything. She speaks down to me and makes me feel so uneasy.
Sh's f*cked up on numerous occasions now and I am at my wits end to say the least.

Yes change. Don't be afraid to do so or ask to speak to her superior at the firm and see if you can just have a change within the company.

Love the username @FatfunandADHD 😃

Even at this stage I could change? I try and be assertive to her and she talks down to me very rudely. There is lots I would like to say to her but I worry that she would deliberately mess it up even more. I have no faith in her to fight for me and now it's at a crucial point I need her to.

She also refuses to let me see any sent/received correspondence from other party. I thought this was standard in divorce.

Yes, change solicitor.

If she talks down to you then say very calmly, 'Please don't speak to me in that fashion I find it rude'. But honestly - I'd simply find another solicitor and inform her firm that you've lost confidence in her due to her attitude.

I switched solicitors - I used one for the divorce, and began the financial proceedings with him, but he was discouraging and disinterested, kept saying things like, 'I'm not sure that we could expect to achieve a figure like that' (much lower than 50%) and eventually I found a better one and said to him, 'I just don't have any confidence that you'll get me the settlement that I should be entitled to. This will affect my whole future and you don't seem that inclined to pursue things vigorously so I'm changing firms'.

I got a much better solicitor second time round who DID actually follow my wishes and was really supportive.

If it's too hard to move firms perhaps ask to speak with her manager and change within the firm?

Feel free to change if you genuinely don’t think they are representing you well

where are the disconnects and are they material ?

@Hatty65 change even though my FH is next month? First 2 court dates are already over.

@Unexpectedlysinglemum yes I might try that. I will ring tomorrow and see what can be done. It ain't good enough

@Janeismymiddlename84 I don't know - I changed earlier than that I'm afraid. I have no idea whether it's too late to change solicitor now.

But it's perhaps worth phoning another firm and asking them whether they would be able to take it on? Better than resigning yourself to a shit settlement because your solicitor was incompetent.

@millymollymoomoo I will give you a couple of examples... Promised this and that when I initially met her and hasn't followed through with anything. When I give my financial info via zoom to her and barrister last year, she told me she would have it sent within a week. This was November. After numerous times asking her about it ignoring me, I got speaking to her on phone in March and said very rudely told me she had sent it ages ago. I said no you didn't. Then she realized she hadn't and sent it.

She refuses to send me the correspondence sent and received. Told me I hadn't a clue what was going on. I said no I'm confused, this is why I need to see the correspondence. Still refuses to give me this.

Ex has 2 court orders demanding his finances. Still won't produce

@Hatty65 yes this is the worry. Shit settlement because of her incompetence. Told me she's too busy to concentrate on case also. Who says that 🙈

@Janeismymiddlename84 That's horrendous! I'd certainly be phoning first thing and asking to speak to the most senior person in the firm and registering a complaint about that. Hopefully they will be horrified that she is telling clients she's too busy to do a half decent job for them.

Can you post this on the legal board? You might get some much better advice from actual solicitors who know what the best option for you would be.

@Hatty65 that is only some points. There's so much more. I actually went through some of my recent emails as past few months and it really is quite shocking. I will be paying this woman thousands in a few months and for absolutely nothing.

Yes I will copy onto legal section x!

You got more than enough time. I had a good first solicitor but I felt she was too junior to move forward with.

As long as you have everything well documented and filed then your new sols can pick up super quickly. I actually moved from first to second in less time than you are suggesting.

@Sunlounger25 thanks, that's helpful to know. I've all my correspondence to and from her but she refuses point blank to give me any other correspondence. I find this so strange. She really needs to go. I can't deal with the way she speaks to me. Like I'm a child and not a 40 year old woman. Just ain't good enough.

Remember you are paying her by the hour. She works for you! When you get a new solicitor they will ask for the case load from your existing solicitor.

My perspective is you need to feel like you have the best representation at the FH. It's not the time to lose as you won't get another chance. Good luck!

She’s not too busy, she’s incompetent.

Just reading over my other post and didn't make sense. I meant when I give her and my barrister my financial breakdown in November, my affidavit was to be sent to me by the following week. 4 months later after chasing this, she was adamant that she sent it. But she realized during our call that she hadn't. So frustrating.
She lets my exH rule the roost.

@Sunlounger25 so she keeps reminding me about a bill. I'm going to be paying her thousands for doing absolutely nothing. All I do is waste time chasing her up.
It's always a bother for her to speak to me.

My last face to face meeting with her was 11mins long. I travel an hour to see her.

Ok. Find a new solicitor tomorrow and then ask for your case load as you're moving solicitors. As PP mentioned then find out who is the most senior within her practice and put in a complaint. If that doesn't work escalate to the obudsman

@Sunlounger25 still waiting on a reply from her from last week. I sent her another email yesterday asking same question again but she completely ignored it once more. Tomorrow I think I will ring firm to ask for someone senior to look into this for me.

Change

@Skybluepinky looking like the only option unfortunately. I've stressed to her a couple of times about this and yet nothing is done

@Janeismymiddlename84 how are you getting on?