Thank you for the good advice. I contacted the Law Society who told me I was probably out of time as it is well over 6 months the firm no longer worked for me.

At the time (in October 2007) the lawyer resigned, I was given the name of the senior partner who I was told would contact me to resolve my complaint. I emailed the partner a week or so later to remind him I had not heard from him, and also to ensure he had my details on file.He never did acknowlege the complaint, or forward a reply.

Since then the trust has been wound up and,I am now landed with this bill to pay, a bill that should have been paid out of trust funds if it had been agreed or reduced at the time and then deducted from any profits before the tax return submitted....so I seem to have lost out in several ways...I assumed he had abandoned his claim and certainly has ignored all Law Society rules.

Would it be fair to deduct my additional costs due to his actions and am I correct in thinking that if we cannot come to any agreement, this would be a claim in the small claims court,and that I would not be liable for his firms costs , because if so, I prefer to argue the injustice of it all in front of a judge.? That would be preferable to paying up for shoddy work, which I believe should have been substantially discounted at the time.

Ask to speak to the Senior Managing Partner and explain in necessary in writing the background as well as sending a copy to the law society.

Solicitors have a code of conduct to follow and it is frowned upon if they do not adhere to it (without good reason)

Deliver one letter by hand and post another recorded (then they cannot say it was not received) to the solicitor

Send the Law Society by recorded only (do expect you to deliver by hand if not in central london)

www.legalcomplaints.org.uk

helpline no 0845 608 6565

I have also included the law society complaints contact details above which should be able to help you.

In early 2007 I employed a lawyer to carry out work for my father's trust. Almost from the start we ran into problems with him as he was extremely slow, did not reply to phone calls or emails and gave quite wrong advice on occasion.

He had an abusive outburst which later he said was due to stress but matters did not improve. Finally nine months later in early October 2007, he resigned without warning leaving me to have to find a new lawyer who once he received the file, had to go over a lot of old ground at considerable additional cost to familiarize himself with the issues.In addition to that I estimated he delayed matters at least three to four months by his poor service.

The first lawyer did tell me at the time,his bill was close to GBP 4000 and he would not pass over the file until he had been paid. I told him I would pay under protest only, that I wanted a remuneration certificate, also to make a formal complaint to his company and a reduction of costs for the erroneous advice he had given earlier in the year.

He passed on the name of the senior partner to whom I should make a complaint. I did complain, but my complaint went unanswered. The file however was sent to the new lawyer without my paying the bill.

Since then nothing further was heard. He never sent his bill and I never received a reply to my complaint.

Today (close on a year and a half later ) I received a phone call saying he was sending his bill for payment, but that his firm might accept a compromise.

What advice can you give me please.