Family and Friends Forum

My partner was given the duty solicitor at the arrest and stuck with the same firm and got legal aid. I thought they were ok but it feels like they don't update us on anything and they're not trying hard to get the best possible sentence for my OH, and I can't help but wonder if it's because it's a legal aid case and they can't be bothered to try due to the nature of the crime. He told us the outcome would be the same if we did it privately or through legal aid but now I'm questioning that... Solicitor keeps giving different sentencing estimates to me and my OH and it is creating conflict between us. It doesn't match what I have read in the sentencing guidelines either but I am not a solicitor at the end of the day

But it is messing with us all to initially tell us one amount of time, then tell my OH a much longer amount, then days later tell my OH a lesser amount

Thank you! Long winded is helpful :) I will look at the SRA but he is not being so bad that I feel the need to complain, although might do so if OH gets a disproportionate sentence, but it feels like he is not updating us, has put almost nothing in email/writing to do with OH’s case, it's all been over telephone or zoom or the two visits to see OH. He didn’t tell OH he was going to see him until 2 days before the appointment but then tells OH he has to book appointments 10 days in advance, so I don’t get why didn’t update any of us on that. Didn’t tell any of us he had the documents to do with the case ready even though he knew we requested to read them once they were available. I asked for documents previously and he said he’d send them but I heard nothing for over a week and had to chase twice. Then his receptionist sends an email with information that’s incorrect. Are we supposed to chase them regularly, at the end of the day we’re the clients, my OH is the main client, shouldn’t they be the ones taking the initiative to update us. Duty solicitor told OH to tell police “everything” but from a legal point of view this doesn’t seem necessarily wise as there was not much evidence for “everything” he told them, too late to do anything about it now but I do wonder how OH’s case would be going if he had had a private solicitor from the start

Can't believe they said they would wait til the day of a hearing to go through evidence! I wish we had changed solicitors like you did but my OHs parents for some reason thought the duty solicitors firm seemed decent, but I didn't get that impression when I spoke to them. It feels like my opinions and suggestions get ignored often as a young female!

I'm glad your second solicitors worked out so much better, that's amazing! My solicitor hasn't even mentioned changing the SHPO and won't have a meeting with us until the probation report is ready which might not be until just days before court. It really pisses me off.

There's only two points on it I want clarification over though which are:

Not to use any Internet instant messaging resources for any textual conversation (Snapchat / Omegle / Etc ) and Not to operate a private Internet account

Does anyone know what that means? Does that mean no whatsapp or iMessage too? No normal texts? Companies often text or whatsapp to carry out work so I'm not sure how that works in reality. And what on earth is a "private internet account"?

Hi, that's what I wondered but the incognito mode one is already covered in "using or activating any function of any software which prevents a computer or device from retaining and/or displaying the history of internet use, for example using 'incognito' mode or private browsing"

It's so confusing!! xx

Could be! Solicitors won't bloody explain shit to us, I need to push to find out next week