Complain about a Solicitor

marrus

just wondering is it possible to put a complaint in about a Solicitor. My husband applied for legal aid. He was summoned to court to pay maintenance for a 20yr old child. he is not refusing to pay maintenance before anyone starts. Basically the 1st day in court we were told that we would have to pay €20 a week, when my husband explained we are dealing with MABS and are currently experiencing difficulties she just said hard luck but you will have to pay. When it went into court room ex had no proof of child going to college so was adjourned. We were in court again, mother of child didnt turn up neither did our solicitor. We rang legal aid to ask what was happening and she said she was in another court but would assign another solicitor for us. Basically court was adjourned again (thurs) and other solicitor said she would get our solicitor to ring us. My husband rang her that eveningand she said she would back next day. she didnt so on tues husband rang office and solicitor said we were very impatient and rude, we were anxious, in court again next week and once again hr drive, petrol etc is crippling us, solicitor basicaly said though it has to be done, should she not be on our side.

neverfindaname

"he is not refusing to pay maintenance before anyone starts.........we were told that we would have to pay €20 a week"

Why are ye even getting a Solicitor to do ANY work then? Fill in your Affidavit of Means, examine hers, job done. The Judge will decide. If ye haven't any money, the Judge will decide what has to be paid.....and you know something will have to be paid....people don't live on fresh air....The money in any event will be going to his daughter somehow. Look at the bigger picture, pay the 20e to his daughter and be done with it.

RATM

Wow only €20 quid a week for chile maintenance, never knew it could be that low.

marrus

It may seem low to you but when we cannot pay our mortgage and depend on sdvp for food most weeks it is a lot, neither working due to serious illness. I wont say anymore as I am too upset,

Sala

Why do you say he is not refusing to pay maintenance, but you won't pay 20 euros? 20euros a week is very low, you couldn't have expected much lower.

I doubt the Law Society would take your complaint seriously to be honest. The Legal Aid Board are really busy and I doubt a maintenance case like yours is their top priority. You don't need a solicitor for this by the way

a lawyer

i would work out, exactly, what you want to complain about, and to whom

a judge has made a ruling that you don't agree with, i.e. that €20 maintenance should be paid, and even though that might seem low, your own circumstances are so difficult that even €20 can't be found. is that the difficulty (really)?

if so i would your energy into trying to vary the maintenance yourselves, as has been suggested.

if there is a point as to why even €20 is too much to pay in maintenance essentially it will come down to your husband explaining why to the judge himself anyway.

Even if there is a complaint to be made about the solicitor appointed to act for free for you - to what end? it doesn't solve your problem. if the problem is getting your point about why €20 is too much to the judge, then use the next day back in court to make that point.

nuac

Legal Aid solicitors have to look after a number of clients and are short staffed.

YOu could ask your solicitor to contact the other side to see if they could resolve this without court hearings.

You are getting a free service. Have some patience. Legal Aid office may have some more urgent cases

Milk & Honey

a lawyer wrote: »

i would work out, exactly, what you want to complain about, and to whom

a judge has made a ruling that you don't agree with, i.e. that €20 maintenance should be paid, and even though that might seem low, your own circumstances are so difficult that even €20 can't be found. is that the difficulty (really)?

.

When did the judge make the ruling? The case hasn't been heard yet.

a lawyer

" Basically the 1st day in court we were told that we would have to pay €20 a week"

i'd have thought that was the judge (i may be incorrect)

Milk & Honey

a lawyer wrote: »

" Basically the 1st day in court we were told that we would have to pay €20 a week"

i'd have thought that was the judge (i may be incorrect)

This didn't happen in the court room.
"When it went into court room ex had no proof of child going to college so was adjourned."

Clearly the judge didn't say it. It was obviously the solicitor.

a lawyer

fine. you are correct. i'll not comment again. congrats.

Milk & Honey

a lawyer wrote: »

fine. you are correct. i'll not comment again. congrats.

You are welcome.

Tom263412

Prob neither here nor there but when I was 20 I was working full time to get through my degree. I'd be embarrassed if my separated parents had to go to court over me at that age...