Enjoy the bit at the beginning, it goes downhill from there...
Thoroughly pleasant initially to get the money 'on account' but once they had it the pleasantries and charm quickly ended. It was quickly found again when demanding more money on the account which I simply accepted as I wished to get through the process ASAP - looking back I should instead have cancelled the service and gone elsewhere.
When I queried account breakdown they were rude and borderline obstructive and merely demanded further amounts of money to break down the bill further, which I regrettably paid once more in order to get through the process.
Ransom
With the final court document released by the court, the solicitor threatened to withhold it, despite the timelines issued by the judge as part of the court order until I had settled the remaining balance of a couple of hundred pounds. An attitude that was unwarranted considering we still had further business to complete, I hadn't ever missed a payment and more to the point, for much of the engagement I was in fact in credit - largely to support forward services and maintain legal momentum.
After spending tens of thousands of pounds on my final visit to the practice and now in need of two utility bills being verified, the practice owner, a rotund, red-faced chap spent all of two minutes stamping and signing the documents whilst eating some sort of pastry, open-mouthed before me. As quick as he had begun he had finished and immediately jutted his hand out to demand £40 cash for the service. In half-disbelief, I asked if I was to be charged for the service. The crumb-laden face retorted back "got to keep the wine cabinet topped up"! With a wry disbelieving smile, I gave the portly little chap his precious money and he immediately stuffed the £40 into his top shirt pocket. Clearly, the taste left in my mouth wasn't that of a fine Chianti and the latest performance merely cemented my view of the practice.
After walking out of the office, I got a hundred yards and then decided to go back and ask for a receipt, at which point I saw his face of disbelief. As his big round face turned even redder he muttered a few choice words under his breath as he scribbled his signature on a compliments slip (not even a proper receipt). Whilst I wouldn't be left with the taste of a fine wine, at least now the taxman would stand a chance of a drop... A petty exercise but indicative of my contempt for a poorly performing practice rich in arrogance and poor on manners...
The Irony...
Some four months later, I was amazed to receive a cheque through the post, it turns out, my account was actually in credit to the tune of over £200 all along... Simply speechless considering the ransom I had been held too. I guess it was time for that Chianti after all...
Sadly, many people that have to deal with solicitors do so at times of need. Do yourself a favour and save yourself further heartache and suffering by tasking somebody else. I certainly wish I had.
Cheers!