Don't you just hate solicitors (with due apologies to any present)

[Gluestick]

I think the core factor, Alan Z, is in what capacity solicitors are acting for you, is the decisive factor.

Most businessmen I have known, who have had the misfortune to require the necessary services of solicitors, have tended to share my sour perspective.

Most people will need the services of a solicitor for buying and selling their houses: and with good fortune, that's about it.

However when when ventures into the other more demanding areas, all is not straightforward.

Of course and I do agree, groundless criticism of any group has become a UK national sport of recent years: and inevitably, when horror stories are recounted, only one side is told; and/or that one side is heavily biaised!

I simply cannot accept the Loss Leader argument as a justification for undertaking any professional activity: if it is not a cost-effective sector, then don't do it! If it brings in other work, then accept it with good grace, since it enjoys its own raison d'être.

 

[Alan Zoff]

I think they do accept it with good grace. I just said I wouldn't!

[Catalpa]

[quote user="Gluestick"]

So, you are confident that the majority of members here would unanimously raise a cheer for solicitors then?

[/quote]

Our solicitor is excellent. Absolutely excellent. And a really nice guy, too. If TOH and I were ever to consider divorce, the first custody battle would be over the solicitor. [:D] I think it's one of those professions where you only hear tales of woe and (alleged) incompetence... rarely tales about the good things because normally, no one needs to get a success story off their chests. [;-)]

[Will]

I have to say, that apart from house buying and seling, when I have found that a firm of licensed conveyancers can do a more efficient job anyway, my only experience with solicitors in a court dispute has cost a lot of money for little return. I'm talking about engaging one local practice, through the old school network, who proved so useless and ineffective that I could see them losing all I had engaged them to protect so I had to use another practice to recover the situation and salvage a sort-of workable solution.

That of course does not reflect on the whole profession, because had I used the second firm from the outset I would probably have had a better result for half of the fees. It just proves that there are good and bad everywhere.

 

[PaulT]

Just like Will I have found licenced conveyancers to be efficient and they normally come with a fixed cost. Plus, when you are selling then there are no local searches etc.

The last house we sold I am sure that the buyers, who were fairly young, were not on a fixed cost. The house was 10 years old but he excelled himself in all the things that he asked! My only thought was that he was trying to keep the meter running as long as possible.

In my professional life I deal with a large firm of solicitors. The actual solicitors must be paid well - they certainly seem to be doing very well. The cost for fairly simple things is eye watering. The last costs I saw was about #180 / hour - not too bad.

Paul

[urko]

Last time I moved I

telephoned the solicitors on the day of completion to check the money

had been transferred.  They confirmed it had - I asked how much

the figure was and they told me.  I said that seemed much higher

than I had expected but they assured me it was correct.

I was moving as a

result of divorce and so we were splitting the proceeds according to

a formula that had been supplied to the Solicitors, in writing,

twice. Next news ex-wife on the phone in high dugeon (sp?) asking

where her share is and what I'm playing at. The Solicitors had done

this simple thing wrong.

My experience of both

divorce and conveyancing is that they promise to keep one updated but

never do. If any of them ever read the terms of engagement they send

out, they'd realise they don't do anything they promise. I agreed

with my divorce lawyer that she'd bill me monthly, which she did at

first, but this then became random and erratic for no apparent

reason.

Finally, the whole of

the law (in England and Wales certainly) is run by lawyers, for

lawyers, not you. For example, if you get divorced, your spouse can

“shop around” to find the area where the divorce settlements

commonly handed down suit them best – then force you to get

divorced there. This means if you have already engaged a lawyer

close to home they won't be familiar with that court (they all make

up the rules as they go along and judges are feted as though gods)

and you'll have to consider firing your lawyer and getting one local

to the court or paying your lawyer to travel (I don't know any other

occupation that manages to charge customers for travelling time). If

you then find your spouse's choice of Court was so popular that they

have a massive case backlog there is no-one to complain to and no-one

who is interested in hurrying things along.

The lawyer who was

named as an executor by my late Father in his will, in his (my

Father's) attempt to help the process, slowed it down and hindered

it, and cost us extra time and expense. When I complained I was

treated with contempt until I was able to prove conclusively what a

poor job had been done, at which point I received a grudging apology.

I don't get involved

with lawyers unless I absolutely have to.

[Alan Zoff]

Somewhat off the subject but just sent to me by a solicitor friend:

Lawyers should never ask a Mississippi grandma a question if they
aren't prepared for the answer. In a trial, a Southern small-town
prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grand motherly,
elderly woman to the stand.

He approached her and asked, 'Mrs. Jones, do you know me?'

She responded, 'Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I've known you
since you were a young boy, and frankly, you've been a big
disappointment to me.
You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk
about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you
haven't the brains to realise you never will amount to anything more
than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.'

The lawyer was stunned! Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across
the room and asked, 'Mrs. Jones, do you know the defence attorney?'

She again replied, 'Why, yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he
was a youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem.
He can't build a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice
is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his
wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know
him.'

The defence attorney almost died. The judge asked both counsellors to
approach the bench and, in a very quiet voice, said. . . .

'If either of you morons asks her if she knows me, I'll send
both of you to the electric chair.'

[Gastines]

I'm pleased A.Zoff added a note of humour to the discussion. I'd like to relate one story that shows the difference between solicitors and their clients. A friend had 2 claims being dealt with by a firm of solicitors he'd dealt with for many years. his solicitor being an associate for many years.One claim involved an uncompleted  auction sale on a property the other a personal injury through a company negligence claim. After 3 years,dozens of unreturned phone-calls and various ,he's not in the office, etc. I badgered my friend into changing to the firm I deal with as it was obvious his solicitor was not pursueing either claim to any effect. Approx. 4 months later my friend received two payments totalling £54.000. I'm still waiting for a thankyou.A verbal one would do!!!

As the above is true I trust I can't be sued.

Regards.

[Alan Zoff]

From your friend or from your solicitor to whom the no doubt profitable work was referred?

If the latter, do they know you referred him? If the former, perhaps he had expected a better result!

[Gastines]

Yes, I understand your post. The solicitor is dealing with things for me at the moment. Though it may be hard to believe,some years ago when dealing with a property sale involving family, he thought I'd had a bit of a rough deal and didn't charge me at all!! The deal was of my own making as family and fair deals don't always apply.

The friend is still a friend but I'm not as generous with time/labour and tools as I used to be.

Regards.