Russells

I hired Russells to help me with my divorce because I was told they were “value for money”. I don’t consider that my husband and I have complex assets, so I was surprised that in a period of a little over a month, Russells ran up £7,691 in fees to “peruse” (aka examine) documents. Upon receiving their first invoice, I raised concerns according to Russells’ complaint procedure. In my complaint, I wrote that I was floored by their invoice. I also wrote that I had hired them to ease my burden but that I felt my life was even more stressful. Russells took longer to respond to my complaint than their complaint policy promised and ultimately offered a 4% discount in response to my complaint. This made me feel as if they did not take my concerns seriously. Thus, I felt obliged to file a complaint with the Legal Ombudsman. After Russells found out that the Legal Ombudsman agreed to investigate my complaint, and that the investigation (still ongoing) might be delayed, they initiated a court claim against me for payment of their fees. To continue work on my divorce, I had to hire a new lawyer and incur additional expenses. Plus, I incurred the stress and considerable expense of going through civil litigation at the same time. I defended the claim as a litigant-in-person, while Russells was supported by 7 legal professionals, 2 administrators and 1 court clerk. To date, I incurred over £17,500 in civil litigation costs. Based on my experience, I do not feel that Russells was “value for money”. I was also deeply dissatisfied with how Russells represented my interests. I informed Russells and the court that other legal professionals I consulted about my specific case concurred with my assessment. Due to my level of dissatisfaction, I felt compelled to file a counterclaim. From what I’ve undergone, I have reservations about recommending Russells’ family division. I hope Russells will be more open to client feedback in the future.