Welcome to the DAD.Info forum: Important Information – open to read:
Our forum aims to provide support and guidance where it can, however we may not always have the answer. The forum is not moderated 24 hours a day, so If you – or someone you know – are being harmed or in immediate danger of being harmed, call the police on 999.
Alternatively, if you are in crisis, please call Samaritans on 116 123.
If you are worried about you or someone you know is at risk of harm, please click here: How we can help
I've just started working with a new solicitor having been awarded Legal Aid. Our first appointment is on 1st August, but we've been going back and forth on the phone and by email to get a letter sent out to my ex in the meantime.
What I need from a solicitor/court hearing is quite heavy - there are a lot of issues to sort out - and I need someone pretty tough to make sure it all gets sorted as it should be. The impression I've got from the solicitor so far isn't great if I'm being honest. It's taken all week just to get what should be a simple letter sent out to my ex to make sure I see my daughter this summer, and it's still not correct or sent. I'm getting a bit of a flaky, too-nice impression from her and not sure whether she's going to be up for the task in hand.
How easy it is to change solicitors with Legal Aid should I decide to after our appointment? I'd rather have the right one and get the job done properly, than take the easy route now and then end up in court again down the line, as my life has been nothing but stress over the last 4 years and I can't afford to risk it staying that way.
If you’re not happy, then I would say change sooner rather than later. Either that or at the meeting spell it out what you want from her.
Solicitors aren’t emotionally invested and can somtimes come across as too nice, if you asked she would probably say that it helps to get things done.
Try writing an example letter of what you want written and see what her response is... don’t forget they take instruction from you, not the other way round, if you want something done a certain way, it’s Hester to tell them, they may advise a different way, but bottom line, they’re being paid for a service.
Yeah, definitely. I've been going through the court order and all my contact diaries and bullet pointing the main issues, what needs changing, what needs addressing. Planning on sending it to her prior to our appointment. I guess I'll see how the first appointment goes - she might change my mind. But thought if I know the process for changing a solicitor and maintaining legal aid, I'm ready to do it if needs be.
I think once you've been awarded the legal aid certificate, it can be transferred between solicitors, as they're awarding it to you, not the solicitor.
Welcome to the DAD.info forum.
We don’t like to set ‘rules’, but to make sure that you and the other dads are kept safe, we have some requests. When engaging with the forum, please be aware of the following:
- The forum is not moderated 24 hours per day.
- Many of the moderators do so on a voluntary basis. Whilst they may be able to provide some guidance, advice or support, they may not be able to deal with specifics.
- We are not an emergency crisis service so if you or someone else is in immediate danger, please call emergency services.
- If you are concerned about the safety of a child, please click here to find the support you can get for them (link to new page)
- If you are in crisis, please call Samaritans on 116 123. They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.
We hope you find this forum a supportive environment and thank you for joining us.