Rachel and Matt’s story

“The process helped us better understand the importance of clear communication between clients and their solicitor, especially when important information is involved.”

Rachel and Matt contacted us after receiving an unexpected £2,000 maintenance bill after buying their new flat. When they complained, their solicitor showed them a letter she had sent regarding the bill, but she had sent it to their old address. This happened despite the couple providing a temporary address two weeks before the letter was posted. When the firm refused to refund their legal fees to help cover the cost after they complained, Rachel and Matt took their complaint to the SLCC.

Rachel and Matt’s main concern was that they lost the opportunity to do anything about the maintenance bill. Because they never saw the letter, they were unable to budget for the high costs or renegotiate the purchase price.

They felt their solicitor should have done more than just forward the paperwork; she should have recognised the impact of such a large bill and given them the opportunity to discuss the costs. To them, this was a total breakdown in communication, which is why they felt they shouldn't have to pay for the legal work at all.

When the investigator looked at the evidence from the solicitor’s file it showed a few key things:

·        The solicitor admitted that, by mistake, she had sent the maintenance bill to the wrong address.

·        However, she pointed out that even if Rachel and Matt had received it, the sale price couldn’t have been changed because it had already been legally accepted

·        Rachel and Matt had also by then accepted the terms of sale, which included their responsibility for future maintenance costs.

·        Aside from the mailing error, the solicitor had actually handled the entire purchase correctly and quickly.

Because the purchase was handled well, we did not feel that a refund of fees would be fair. We also agreed that at this stage, Rachel and Matt would not have been able to change the sale agreement. However, we did recommend that the solicitor compensate them for the stress and inconvenience caused by posting the letter to an incorrect address. The solicitor agreed to offer compensation to Rachel and Matt, who accepted that this was a fair outcome.

Our role is to assess whether the solicitor:
• Checked that important information was sent to the correct address
• Provided a reasonable standard of service
• Addressed mistakes appropriately, including recommending compensation when needed

In this case, compensation was recommended to reflect the single error, helping resolve the complaint fairly.

Rachel and Matt contacted us after receiving an unexpected £2,000 maintenance bill after buying their new flat. When they complained, their solicitor showed them a letter she had sent regarding the bill, but she had sent it to their old address. This happened despite the couple providing a temporary address two weeks before the letter was posted. When the firm refused to refund their legal fees to help cover the cost after they complained, Rachel and Matt took their complaint to the SLCC.

Rachel and Matt’s main concern was that they lost the opportunity to do anything about the maintenance bill. Because they never saw the letter, they were unable to budget for the high costs or renegotiate the purchase price.

They felt their solicitor should have done more than just forward the paperwork; she should have recognised the impact of such a large bill and given them the opportunity to discuss the costs. To them, this was a total breakdown in communication, which is why they felt they shouldn't have to pay for the legal work at all.

When the investigator looked at the evidence from the solicitor’s file it showed a few key things:

·        The solicitor admitted that, by mistake, she had sent the maintenance bill to the wrong address.

·        However, she pointed out that even if Rachel and Matt had received it, the sale price couldn’t have been changed because it had already been legally accepted. Rachel and Matt had also by then accepted the terms of sale, which included their responsibility for future maintenance costs.

·        Aside from the mailing error, the solicitor had actually handled the entire purchase correctly and quickly.

Because the purchase was handled well, we did not feel that a refund of fees would be fair. We also agreed that at this stage, Rachel and Matt would not have been able to change the sale agreement. However, we did recommend that the solicitor compensate them for the stress and inconvenience caused by posting the letter to an incorrect address. The solicitor agreed to offer compensation to Rachel and Matt, who accepted that this was a fair outcome.

Our role is to assess whether the solicitor:
  • Checked that important information was sent to the correct address
  • Provided a reasonable standard of service
  • Addressed mistakes appropriately, including recommending compensation when needed

In this case, compensation was recommended to reflect the single error, helping resolve the complaint fairly.

 

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