This review is for a different branch.
I approached Makin Dixon solicitors in October 2024 after they had dealt with my divorce in 2013. I was told by the firm with whom I spoke to on the telephone that I would qualify for legal aid for my case against my ex husband who is a perpetrator of domestic abuse towards myself and was convicted of assault by battery in 2013.
The application was rejected but the trainee solicitor who was appointed to my case, Samina Kousar did not tell me that it had been rejected until a few days afterwards when I had called for an update. I was angry that she hadn't told me as soon as she found out. She told me they had submitted an appeal and not to worry because they often come back with successful appeals. The result of the appeal was in January 2025! During this time my ex husband had changed my son's doctors without my knowledge, tried to change his details at school, had my child benefit stopped and also stopped paying child maintenance, insisting that my son now lived with him, which I did not agree to and I said this would be dealt with via the proper channels through the family court. Throughout the appeal, Samina sporadically sent me emails asking for more information that the legal aid agency required, surely she should have asked me all of this information before the initial application and done her job properly. In January the legal aid agency's reason for the appeal was as follows.
I write to inform you that the legal aid agency has refused your application for the following reasons:
· There is no indication in the statement or supporting documents of an attempt to compromise the issue(s) by solicitors.
Whilst it is noted the client is a victim of domestic abuse, and it would not be appropriate for them to write to the opponent; for a non-urgent application, we would still expect the provider to write to them on the client's behalf, and as per our regulations they are under an obligation to attempt negotiation to avoid litigation.
Samina should have known this before the initial legal aid application was made! Makin Dixon caused a long unnecessary delay because of their incompetence. I believe Samina did not care about my case. I believe Makin Dixon did not care about my case simply appointing a trainee solicitor who clearly did not know what she was doing. When I received the email on January 10th about the legal aid agency's refusal to grant my appeal, Samina was unreachable on the day that she sent it and failed to contact me until the following Tuesday 14th. This was unprofessional and unacceptable. I was forced to find a way to go private to get my matter dealt with immediately as the delay had caused all sorts of problems. My current legal costs are now racing past £30000! I am a single mother with two children on universal credit, I work when I can to fit around my children. Makin Dixon and Samina Kousar ought to be ashamed of themselves for describing their firm as a family law firm. I will be reporting them to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
