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Question re: solicitor handing over to colleague

  • 03-02-2019 8:13pm
    #1
    heldel00
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,832 ✭✭✭


    Family member has been dealing with a local solicitor's firm for the past two years.
    All meetings/ correspondence etc has been with this one solicitor. Court date has been provisionally given and now a letter to state that his colleague Joe Bloggs will now be taking over from here.
    Is this normal? Can a request be made that original solicitor continue on with the case?
    Thankfully this is not an area we are, nor want to be, familiar with.


Comments

  • #2
    Peregrinus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,998 ✭✭✭✭Peregrinus


    heldel00 wrote: »
    Family member has been dealing with a local solicitor's firm for the past two years.
    All meetings/ correspondence etc has been with this one solicitor. Court date has been provisionally given and now a letter to state that his colleague Joe Bloggs will now be taking over from here.
    Is this normal? Can a request be made that original solicitor continue on with the case?
    Thankfully this is not an area we are, nor want to be, familiar with.
    It's not uncommon for there to be a change. It could happen for a variety of reasons.

    You can ask why the change has been made, and you can ask to have it reversed, but you're dealing with the firm rather than the individual and the firms generally regard the allocation of personnel to work as their responsiblity, not the clients' responsibility.


  • #3
    heldel00
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,832 ✭✭✭heldel00


    Ok thank you for your reply.


  • #4
    coylemj
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,624 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    The simple explanation is that the practice probably only sends one solicitor to the local courts because it's more a more efficient use of their time and Joe Bloggs is better on his feet with the judge than the other solicitors in the practice. And he can handle multiple cases in a short space of time i.e. doesn't get flustered switching from case to case as they are called.


  • #5
    heldel00
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,832 ✭✭✭heldel00


    No Joe Bloggs is definitely not better on his feet than other solicitors. Asleep on his feet is more like it.
    Original solictor is the name over the door and it just seems that now money has been paid he's moving on. Very disappointing.


  • #6
    CIARAN_BOYLE
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,599 ✭✭✭✭CIARAN_BOYLE


    It's worth referring back to your original engagement letter and the section of fees.

    Does it say the charge out rate is x or does it say the charge out rate for principal is x and for other lawyers is y. If you feel that this guy isn't as skilled as the top guy he should have a lower charge out rate.

    It's also worth asking for a breakdown of the fee at the end of the job. I wouldn't say that they can bill you for the new guy reviewing the work done by the old guy and familiarising himself with the job.

    Finally this happens a lot. Its usual. The new guy probably has another case on the same day and they don't want to send two solicitors as there's a lot of waiting around with court dates.


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