Solicitor withdraws services

mgmayo

A legal firm has been dealing with a case for me for three years. Progress has always been slow. However last April they failed to answer my calls and emails over a three week period as to an update of the case. I made a complaint to the law society in early May which was answered by my solicitors in late August. This was a very late and minimal response which used incorrect 'facts' to justify it. I responded accusing them of mismanagement or incompetence. They have now responded by withdrawing services on the basis that the relationship has irretrievably broken down. I believe this not to be possible as proceedings have been filed with the courts by them in my case - therefore in litigation. Can they do this?

Irishphotodesk

mgmayo wrote: »

A legal firm has been dealing with a case for me for three years. Progress has always been slow. However last April they failed to answer my calls and emails over a three week period as to an update of the case. I made a complaint to the law society in early May which was answered by my solicitors in late August. This was a very late and minimal response which used incorrect 'facts' to justify it. I responded accusing them of mismanagement or incompetence. They have now responded by withdrawing services on the basis that the relationship has irretrievably broken down. I believe this not to be possible as proceedings have been filed with the courts by them in my case - therefore in litigation. Can they do this?

I think no matter what the service you are receiving, if you complain to a governing body and claim they are incompetent, how can you expect them to continue doing a job for you?

why would you want them to continue to represent you ?

Pay them what they are owed and goto another solicitor (you now owe them 3years of litigation correspondence for the work that they did do over the time you had engaged them).

Did you really think you could say someone was incompetent and expect them to do work for you in the future ? Why would they want to do that ?

Your legal action is probably still going ahead, you need to find new legal representation and pay the old one what they are owed.

mgmayo

Thanks for your insight. Just to clarify the 'incompetance' remark was in relation to their communication with me, rather than their legal ability.

ganmo

Irishphotodesk wrote: »

I think no matter what the service you are receiving, if you complain to a governing body and claim they are incompetent, how can you expect them to continue doing a job for you?

why would you want them to continue to represent you ?

Pay them what they are owed and goto another solicitor (you now owe them 3years of litigation correspondence for the work that they did do over the time you had engaged them).

Did you really think you could say someone was incompetent and expect them to do work for you in the future ? Why would they want to do that ?

Your legal action is probably still going ahead, you need to find new legal representation and pay the old one what they are owed.

How can you justify paying them? They failed to live up to their side of the bargain and then withdrew their service

Peregrinus

You still have to pay them for the work they did do on your instructions. Probably there'll be a bit of argy-bargy over the bill and they might be prepared to knock a bit off because, the relationship having soured, they will not want to spend more time and effort extricating themselves from it than they need to. Don't drag this out. Ask for a final bill; then make then an offer you think (realistically) they might accept to close the matter and take it from there.