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Pretending to be a solicitor?

6 replies

DimlowChips · 26/11/2015 13:55

We've been trying to get payment out of a one-man-band company that we were subcontracting for over the last couple of months. Not a huge amount, but enough that we would rather have it than not IYSWIM. After having all emails and calls from us ignored, we put in a claim to the small claims court to see if we could get any joy that way without spending a fortune on legal proceedings.

DH has just had a call on his mobile from a woman claiming to be this chap's solicitor, but he couldn't quite hear the name of the firm. She prattled on for ten minutes, asking him all sorts of details and saying that we wouldn't win. This seemed veeeeeeery odd, I've dealt with solicitors plenty in my time in business, and the buggers don't do anything that isn't in writing!

Anyway, after a lot of back and forth we've agreed to settle for half the amount and she gave us an email address to send confirmation to (a yahoo account FFS, I was gobsmacked she was that dumb) agreeing we'll drop the same for that settlement.

We're both fine with this, can't be bothered to put more effort in now as we have plenty of other work on, and wanted to settle without legal involvement in the first place. I just wanted to ask what sort of trouble someone can get into for pretending to be a solicitor!?!

OP posts:
CarriesBucketOfBlood · 26/11/2015 13:58

Didn't some of the big energy companies receive fines for pretending to be solicitors and writing to customers?

Don't pay. Anything. At all.

DimlowChips · 26/11/2015 14:38

Thanks for the reply bucket but not really relevant. This isn't about me paying anything, its about getting payment out of someone else and them trying to avoid it by pretending to be a solicitor

OP posts:
OldFarticus · 26/11/2015 14:45

If the person in question is pretending, then it is a criminal offence under (I believe) the 1974 Solicitors' Act. The offence is called "holding out" IIRC.

If you want to check, you can search her name in the database of the Law Society (assuming you are in E&W with all of this). I can't do a clicky link but if you google "find a solicitor England" you can search by firm and individual name.

Not sure what you want to do because it appears that you are happy with the outcome, but I would also be curious in your position.

DimlowChips · 26/11/2015 15:17

Oh now that is useful! Thanks OldFarticus I will go and be nosey now

OP posts:
PausingFlatly · 26/11/2015 15:33

You could send an email saying, "Dear Sue Bloggs, Just checking I've taken the email address down correctly for you as ACME's solicitor, following our phone conversation this afternoon. Will wait for your confirmation before sending documents."

If she replies in the affirmative, that will be veeery interesting if she turns out not to be on the Law Society database.

Cleo22 · 27/11/2015 12:38

The Law Society are always "interested" in people claiming to be solicitors. I would send the details to them.

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