My solicitor has sent my confidential Address to my abusive ex

[Boonlark]

I'm mentally spiralling. She emailed the form asking for my address to be kept confidential from my ex...to my ex. It was in a pdf that had all the other court forms in, and she didn't notice before she sent it.

What do I do now?

This is my own home that I just bought, so it's not like I can move to a new address.

the other posters are wrong about the SR and the ico

Make a complaint to the senior partner in writing. Dont bother with phone calls because they're not good evidence for later.

They have 8 weeks to respond and then you can take your complaint to the legal ombudsman if you have proof of this. Tell them you will be referring to the ombudsman, they charge the solicitors firm for every case they formally investigate so its in the solicitors best interest to respond to you properly.

You can also contact them for advice and they'll explain the whole process. www.legalombudsman.org.uk/

Suing for negligence is a completely separate process and not in your best interests when the ombudsman exists.

Phone women's aid right now. They will advise & assist.
You need to report the solicitor & firm immediately.
You will
Be compensated heavily.

Omg words fail me. Xxxx

I don't work in the legal profession, but I do work with various customers (companies)

If I ever sent anything about a customer to the wrong place or information for one customer to a different customer I would be expected to report it as a breach of security. We have a formal process where I have to report the breach to a specific department. They will review this and ensure that I, and the company, inform all parties and take corrective actions. It would also end up at my managers feet to take it up with me as a member of staff and depending on what I did, the repercussions would vary from a telling off to being sacked for gross misconduct.

I'd be demanding to know what your solicitor is doing, what process she is following and who you speak to about this

I had an experience whereby an employment agency cc'd a list of people rather than bcc and reveal our email addresses, however the list of people in the cc box included somebody I did not want to know my email address or where I worked. That felt bad enough and I made a complaint and changed my email address which was a hassle as it was a professional one.

I'd be furious in your shoes and they need to ensure this is never ever done again, as although your ex may not want to track you down, some other women may not be so fortunate. Change of solicitors needed, and some solicitors do sue other solicitors as a job...

I agree with pp you need to complain in writing using the procedure they set out for you. Make sure you outline your risks in there so they can make an assessment of whether this is reportable. If you are not satisfied escalate to the legal ombudsmen.

So they didn't give me a complaints procedure, and I can't imagine find one on their website. I have emailed a formal complaint to one of the senior partners.

My solicitor was already aware that I have complex ptsd, and needed to keep the address confidential.

*find, not "Imagine"

This happens more than you would think.

Apparently I am a pedophilic, rapist domestic abuser who makes Charles Manson look like Ronald McDonald. Her Solicitors didn't redact her address and I made a complaint on her behalf, family court didn't redact her address and I made a complaint on her behalf. Social Services didn't redact her address and I gave up.

She had cameras on her door for some reason. I have no idea why. When she left I sent three messages 1 asking what happened to the internet, 1 to cancel the cleaner and 1 to ask where our daughter was. Apparently this was enough to cause the police to lose their shit for two years so maybe you need to try harder for the alarm system. The only reason I would have wanted her address was to make sure I didn't come within 500 meters.

Oh I hasten to add that none of this happened, the police and local authority don't believe it but she still go the adaptions like the camera. I have no idea why.

@Boonlark

So they didn't give me a complaints procedure, and I can't imagine find one on their website. I have emailed a formal complaint to one of the senior partners.

My solicitor was already aware that I have complex ptsd, and needed to keep the address confidential.

There's a few places you could try for the complaints procedure:

• before they started any work, they should have got you to sign an engagement letter. There should have been a copy for you to keep and it the complaints procedure should be included as a section in the letter
• sometimes the solicitor will include it on the back of their bills
• if the solicitor has a website, it might be included on there. Quite often you need to scroll right to the bottom of the homepage and there will be a few links including the complaints procedure

Failing all of these, speak to someone at the firm. One of the administrators should be able to send you a copy

Sorry, I meant MARAC not carcass.

I'd be really cautious of everyone saying that you will get compensation... I got fuck all and my ex did turn up and was arrested twice for violence.

I won't rehash it, I already posted a page back, but I posted here at the time and got loads of advice and support - which was lovely - but also a lot of people DMing and posting saying I'd get compensation etc, and it just didn't happen. It doesn't matter, but they didn't even cover hotel costs etc for me, so I want you to be aware before you go into it...

They'll apologise, but both they and the ICO can't change that he now knows where you are, and neither would do more than apologise to me even confronted with photos of injuries and hard evidence of costs involved.

wouldn't count on that, unless the solicitor offers you one. I got a goodwill gesture of £200 from the bank. That was it. It didn't even cover half of the hotel stay.

You won’t do well on goodwill only. I’m talking about threatening litigation for misuse of privacy info, breach of confidence, and breach of statutory duty. I may hate the claims companies (since I work on the opposition to their cases) but this case would definitely get a payout. Likely £1-5k plus costs based on cases I’ve seen, depending on how much you can convince them it has caused psychological distress and especially if he does turn up.

I'm so sorry you are in this position. Honestly they should have to fund the cost of you moving and staying somewhere else for the time it takes you to move. Mistake last do happen, but you shouldn't be put at risk because of it.

Similar happened to me. Except it was the council in their desperate grab to squeeze every penny of money via council tax. They gave him the address of the refuge. That's right, because everybody who claims a benefit must be committing fraud they decided to check completely ignoring the confidential address of the refuge. 5 extra years of abuse for me and my children. Did it again when I finally escaped, was in my new, empty house building furniture when I got a text with my full address. So, no, lessons were not learned.

The Child Maintenance Service did this to me. I spoke to the police and they put a red flag on my address and brought round intruder alarms etc. I think you need to complain to the Director of the firm and also the Solicitor Regulation Authority.

Shocking.

@KleineDracheKokosnuss I’m talking about threatening litigation for misuse of privacy info, breach of confidence, and breach of statutory duty

Maybe I should have taken more legal advice - The general opinion at the time who said that as the bank had apologised, and the ICO found that it was human error, there wasn't any point, and I should concentrate on moving ASAP and keeping myself safe.

I even sent police reports, like I said, and my ex was arrested four times for assault as a direct result of the bank sending the letter confirming my new address and that it wouldn't be disclosed to him to his house, a house that I'd never lived at. I also proved costs I'd occurred, on police advice to leave the house in the hope that time would calm him down.

I hope you're right and I was just poorly advised. Frustrating as that would be, it'd be useful for the OP!

OP Im so sorry .. this is shocking

please continue to pursue this Complaint 🌸

take very good care

@Egghead68

You could contact another solicitor and get them to sue your solicitor for the data breach.

good point, hadn't thought of that.

@Onetraumaatatimeplease

Similar happened to me. Except it was the council in their desperate grab to squeeze every penny of money via council tax. They gave him the address of the refuge. That's right, because everybody who claims a benefit must be committing fraud they decided to check completely ignoring the confidential address of the refuge. 5 extra years of abuse for me and my children. Did it again when I finally escaped, was in my new, empty house building furniture when I got a text with my full address. So, no, lessons were not learned.

OMG. Although I'm not surprised after what I had experienced.

Awareness raising not brilliant in some agencies.

Peope still do not understand how serious this is.

I've read that happen on here a couple of times. The posts may still be there in the legal section.

@CrimeJunkie01

The Child Maintenance Service did this to me. I spoke to the police and they put a red flag on my address and brought round intruder alarms etc. I think you need to complain to the Director of the firm and also the Solicitor Regulation Authority.

Yes !!

Omg don't complain to the SRA they dont deal with service issues...thats what the legal.ombudsmans is there - they will report anything to the SRA that is relevant and they are more likely to take it seriously if its reported by them.

suing a solicitor for negligence is a ling and complicated process - and the test in court is whether they have been 'legally' negligence - it would be easy to argue that its human error and at this point you haven't suffered a material loss. The cost of suing another solicitor is through the roof and you'll also need to find another solicitor to take on the original case. Please don't listen to other posters who tell you to do this.

If you've emailed the senior partner, that counts as the date of complaint. If they dont respond in 8 weeks, straight to the ombudsman. Please don't waste your time threatening them with various legal terms, they are lawyer and they will twist your words to nonsense. Keep things factual and clear.

You can contact the legal ombudsman beforehand to get a customer reference that you use going forward.