English
Anonymous
This review was submitted by a verified client of Banner Jones Solicitors.
Poor Advice & Service - Claim vs Customer
We had used Banner Jones for many years for property matters and general legal advice, so when we encountered our first significant issue involving non-payment by a customer, we naturally approached them to act on our behalf. The claim was for a substantial sum, and at the outset we were advised by Robert Stubbs that we had a very strong prospect of success. On the strength of that advice, we decided to proceed. Unfortunately, our experience from that point onwards was extremely disappointing. It quickly felt as though we were having to undertake a significant proportion of the work ourselves, while also regularly chasing for progress and updates. As the matter developed, further evidence came to light which, in our view, strengthened our position considerably, and we continued with the claim despite the considerable time and stress involved. The greatest disappointment came when, unexpectedly, the customer offered to settle for less than 50% of the outstanding balance. Despite the confidence we felt we had been given throughout the matter, we were then advised to accept the offer on the basis that continuing would be lengthy and increasingly costly, with no guarantee of success. By this stage, the process had taken its toll and, more importantly, we had lost confidence in the advice we were receiving. We therefore reluctantly accepted the settlement. What made the outcome particularly frustrating was the level of legal costs incurred. A substantial proportion of the settlement ultimately went towards Banner Jones' fees, leaving us significantly out of pocket despite the considerable amount of our own time and effort spent pursuing the debt. We fully appreciate that no solicitor can ever guarantee the outcome of litigation. However, had the risks, likely costs and potential commercial outcome been presented to us in this way at the outset, we would have been able to make a properly informed decision about whether pursuing the claim was commercially worthwhile. Instead, our understanding throughout much of the process was that we had a very strong case and that a significant proportion of both the outstanding debt and associated legal costs could potentially be recovered. Ultimately, we came away feeling that pursuing the matter had achieved very little commercially for our business, despite the considerable time, cost and stress involved. Having been a long-standing client, it is particularly disappointing to say that this experience has resulted in us losing confidence in Banner Jones, and we would not use any of their services again.
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