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Can you report a Solicitors actions to Trading Standards?

53 replies

RainingBows · 17/12/2021 18:56

I feel totally done over by my prior solicitor.

My previous solicitor whom I was advised by a number of people as being 'the best around' locally...was wholly unsupportive and I began to wonder what she was even doing for me.

I realised I could no longer continue to ask my parents to pay the legal bills which seemed to come to 'thousands' upon each invoice. ('Respondent ' in a divorce and financial remedy)

Upon the last invoice; I emailed her to advise her that I could no longer afford this and did not have the finances to pay it and asked what I should do.
She advised she could therefore no longer represent me.
I asked her what payment plans were available and stated I would have no choice but to represent myself.

Then my xH then confirmed 'agreement' toward a financial consent order...

At no point did my solicitor clarify with me if I wanted her to prepare the statement of information.
She literally sent me an email telling me my xH had responded that afternoon and enclosed (already prepared!) was the statement of information reponce that my solicitor had drafted using my Form E (which obviously Id prepared myself).

I asked her to clarify how much it would cost if she was to deal with the consent order to the end and she estimated £2k.

So obviously, I then dealt with the consent order myself, corrosponded with my xHs solicitor myself from that point onward...its now done and dusted.

However my solicitor has just now sent me a bill at nearly £1k! (the week before Christmas argh!!!) and yet my parents had paid her over £2k for the previous to date invoice just prior to the consent order?!

Im gob smacked that a bill of this sum could even be totalled.
She seems to be referring to the fact I didnt make it 'clear' that I no longer wanted her representation! Id have thought she'd have had the damn curtosy to ask me that if it was anything other than uncertain after my emails about this fact!

Im so so angry.
Is there anyway I can argue this?

OP posts:
Familylawso1icitor · 18/03/2022 09:07

Seems clear to me from the exchange you give that you had ended the retainer at that point. They should have clarified before incurring more cost if unsure. No harm referring to ombudsman but I believe they are very slow.

Mesher orders are absolutely still a “thing” although clean break must always be prioritised if possible.

RainingBows · 18/03/2022 09:33

@Familylawso1icitor Thanks again.

I was happy to agree to a sale of the family home to get my xHusbands name off (Clean break) as he wasnt paying anything towards it, I was asking to remain for a couple of years at the very most due to my childrens infant age.
I have just created a new post re this actually as I may mention it within my complaint as I was sternly told Mesher Orders were old news.

OP posts:
RainingBows · 23/03/2022 13:28

I think im going to let it go to the Ombudsman.

The solicitors are only knocking off £300. Basically if I understand correctly - thats my risk, I loose that discount if the Ombudsman think I haddnt made it clear...

OP posts:
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