Advice needed regarding a downright dodgy Solicitor act!

[beaconsman]

Hi, just been going through some paperwork/clear out regarding stat demand/charge order we asked a solicitor to help with.

The Solicitor firm (local so I wont name, yet!) took on the case and actually went over the amount that we agreed it would cost, I was with my wife at the meeting so am a witness.

The Solicitors then threatened a charge order over the very thing we asked them to defend in the first place, with the solicitors costs it would have been easier and cheaper just to settle the balance over a debt rather than pay the solicitors fees which came to nearly £2k.

This happened about 4 years ago but still feel aggrieved that a local solicitors would act in this way.

[R0b]

Re: Advice needed regarding a downright dodgy Solicitor act!

If you were going over the amount that you expected then they should have informed you that it was going to cost more and asked whether you wanted to continue. It is part of their code of conduct and if they failed to do then and carried on work without getting any consent then you could argue that. Are they still threatening with a charging order?

[beaconsman]

Re: Advice needed regarding a downright dodgy Solicitor act!

HI, We only got the price agreed verbally, there was never nothing in writing, only when did we have a bill for £394, I asked why it was so much. We paid that and the total bill was close to £2000 which we had to pay in instalments as they threatened a charging order...just wondering where we legally stand..the actual original charging order was withdrawn by Hamptons, I believe it was, this was around 2010/11. Wife was pregnant so money was tight as we didn't want to lose the house.

Still have majority of the paperwork, I was going to chuck it out but thought, I'd ask for advice just out of curiosity.

[R0b]

Re: Advice needed regarding a downright dodgy Solicitor act!

You could have complained to the ombudsman but onl have 6 months of the problem happening to complain. However you could complain to the SRA as they may have been in breach of principles/code of conduct especially relating to client care. That's not to say they will do something about it but will certainly be noted. There is a report form you can download from their website if you wish to do so here http://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/prob...solicitor.page other than that the only other option I can see if through the courts, which would be something you would have to weigh up yourself in terms of risk. Did they provide you with a break down of your bills? If not have you paid for it now as if you have you can request the whole file from them as once you have paid solicitors fees the file yours.

[beaconsman]

Re: Advice needed regarding a downright dodgy Solicitor act!

Hi, yes the whole thing has been settled in full, we had no choice but to pay £2000

[Openlaw15]

Re: Advice needed regarding a downright dodgy Solicitor act!

Hi, just been going through some paperwork/clear out regarding stat demand/charge order we asked a solicitor to help with.

The Solicitor firm (local so I wont name, yet!) took on the case and actually went over the amount that we agreed it would cost, I was with my wife at the meeting so am a witness.

The Solicitors then threatened a charge order over the very thing we asked them to defend in the first place, with the solicitors costs it would have been easier and cheaper just to settle the balance over a debt rather than pay the solicitors fees which came to nearly £2k.

This happened about 4 years ago but still feel aggrieved that a local solicitors would act in this way.

How about some details, ie what was the charging order for?