I wanted to blog today about an issue which is concerning me more and more (on prospective clients' behalf) in this twenty-first century world.
People seem to be more and more driven to buy at the lowest price possible - without understanding what it is that they are really buying. While there might be some logic for this when you are buying a simple, understood manufactured product - when you apply that approach to obtaining legal advice & assistance services - you may well be 'asking for trouble'.
Not too long ago, people knew they needed legal advice, thought 'Solicitor' and then either asked their friends and family for a recomendation and / or looked under the reelvant section in the 'Yellow Pages' (let me know if you need me to explain that youngsters!).
Now - people seem to carry out an internet ('Google') search for 'lawyer' - and the results that I am seeing are horrific! I will try and blog on this further in a seprate piece - but this year I have seen a businessman lose his business entirely (had to be dissolved), and another receive but a fraction of the price on sale that they had been originally offerred - all due to the approach taken by the 'lawyer' they instructed!
Detailed background information with regard to my Solicitors practice is available (and is regularly updated) at:
www.EquitableLaw.com
Please be advised (if you are seeking to obtain legal advice & assistance in relation to business issues), that I would thoroughly recommend you use a person who can legitimately describe themselves and trade as a 'Solicitor' - who will be (generally) able to professionally advise and assist you in relation to all commercial, taxation and other relevant legal issues (and if they can't they'll tll you).
I AM a fully qualified and highly experienced English Solicitor, with my own authorised & regulated etc. Solicitors practice, "Equitable Law" - based in West / Central London, but trading both nationally & internationally.
Be warned - That in addition to those who trade on-line, and are reasonably open about their lack of qualifications, experience and / or expertise - there are a significant number of people who trade on-line - who use a variety of titles to describe themselves - which you should (please) appreciate signify next to nothing, if anything (e.g. 'lawyer', 'legal consultant' etc.).
It really doesn't matter if the relevant person / organisation provides a picture of themselves wearing a wig and / or have a picture of some law books (as their cover image / upon their web-site). Unless they can legitimately call themselves and trade as a "Solicitor", then it is unlikely that they are anything other than unqualified, unauthorised, unregulated, effectively uninsured (in practice - whatever they may claim) layman - as regards advising and assisting with English legal matters.
H.M. Govenment knows this and when they permit people providing legal services as a business to inter-react with them (e.g. the Courts, the Land Registry, the Probate Registry) they insist upon the relevant person being a Solicitor (or a small number of other recognised legal professionals - e.g. Barrister, Licensed Conveyancer etc.).
However, if you are not so dealing with H.M. Government - Public policy is to promote total competition (to which I have no objection) but you should recognise 'you are on your own' and 'it's like the Wild West out there'!
Many others who trade on-line assert themselves to be 'former' or 'retired' Solicitors - with regard to which, I would encourage you to ask the question - Why is it they no longer appear able to use their former title and yet seek to trade as 'legal advisors'? Raise the question whether the preface 'former' or 'retired' is in fact a euphemism for 'disbarred'?
Be particularly wary of those who claim to be 'Solicitors' - but who simply do not satisfy the obligations under English law to use that title and trade as such. There are a significant number of people trading with fake names, often based outside of the U.K. - although obscuring that point (and therefore beyond the reach of the regulatory authorities) and / or who otherwise are "wrong 'uns"!
Please check the Law Society's 'Find a Solicitor' database to establish whom it is you are dealing with.
This Solicitors practice is at :- http://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/office/545878/equitable-law-limited
My personal details are at:- http://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/person/9511/daniel-robert-johnson
Anyone else who is NOT included in that database (both as an individual AND in relation to the legal entity through which they trade) - will be omitted for a variety of reasons - most likely including an inability to satisfy the Solicitors' profession's regulator (directly or indirectly) as to ethics and / or competency (although there is much, much worse that I could advise you of - I am afraid!)
Please always remember that the general ultimate aim of seeking legal advice & assistance in relation to commercial / business matters, is to result in the possession of appropriate advice etc. and / or the production of documents - which you can legally rely upon and / or enforce in the future.
It is fully possible in circumstances (such as these) to opt for 'false economy' and pay for apparent 'legal' advice & assistance - that only much time later do you realise is worthless for your purposes and / or damaging for your position (and in relation to which - in practice - you have no 'comeback')!
If you are comfortable not receiving legal advice & assistance that you can rely upon (and I fully understand that in early stage businesses etc. this can be the case) - there are a range of on-line legal guides and libraries that I would be happy to guide you to - which ultimately are much more economic / cost-effective than paying inflated sums to someone who will simply be regurgitating information that they have fund on-line to you - with no understanding as to its accuracy / appropriateness etc.(at best)!
I sincerely hope that our first contact will not be when you wish to have a consultation with me about the prejudice and resulting losses that you have suffered from not instructing a Solicitor / having instructed the cheapest on-line advice and assistance option - as regrettably happens all too often!
I am always delighted to have preliminary contact with prospective clients upon an initial no obligation basis, so do please feel free to contact me for such a discussion.
I hope to receive contact from you - if you would like to discuss my potential legal advice & assistance further.
DanielRobertJohnson (Skype)
Dan.Johnson@EquitableLaw.com
+44 (0) 7788 537 187 (U.K. Cell. Tel.)
+44 (0) 20 8780 3319 (London Landline Tel.)
www.EquitableLaw.com
