Donate to Remove ads

Got a credit card? use our Credit Card & Finance Calculators

Thanks to johnstevens77,Bhoddhisatva,scotia,Anonymous,Cornytiv34, for Donating to support the site

What's going on with this law firm?

including wills and probate
melonfool
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 2939
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:18 am
Has thanked: 1365 times
Been thanked: 793 times

What's going on with this law firm?

#171081

Postby melonfool » October 3rd, 2018, 1:27 pm

Hi

I've had correspondence from this legal firm. So I looked them up.

They claim to be called Hayes Connor. But the SRA shows as law firm of that name no longer registered: http://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/firm-b ... 20332.page

Checking the HC website they give a registration which, when searched on the SRA website, applies to: https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/firm- ... 32067.page

This is the HC websiter: https://www.hayesconnor.co.uk/contact/

They are presumably linked (geographical location etc would suggest it?). So, is the latter 'trading as'?* And is that OK for a law firm? I'd have thought they should be more open and not want to trade under the name of a 'closed' business?

*(actually, I have just double checked one of their letters and it does say HC is a 'trading style' of FD)

Is it safe to use them do people think?


Ta

Mel

johnhemming
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 3858
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 7:13 pm
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 609 times

Re: What's going on with this law firm?

#171089

Postby johnhemming » October 3rd, 2018, 1:58 pm

from their website at the bottom wrote:- Hayes Connor Solicitors is a trading style of FD Law Ltd who are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, SRA number 632067. Registered Office; First Floor, Old Town Hall, Victoria Square, Widne

melonfool
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 2939
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:18 am
Has thanked: 1365 times
Been thanked: 793 times

Re: What's going on with this law firm?

#171090

Postby melonfool » October 3rd, 2018, 1:59 pm

johnhemming wrote:
from their website at the bottom wrote:- Hayes Connor Solicitors is a trading style of FD Law Ltd who are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, SRA number 632067. Registered Office; First Floor, Old Town Hall, Victoria Square, Widne


Yes, as I said in my post.

So, my question was "is it safe to use them"?

I just wonder if this shows them as being a bit odd, or dodgy or anything?

Mel

johnhemming
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 3858
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 7:13 pm
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 609 times

Re: What's going on with this law firm?

#171091

Postby johnhemming » October 3rd, 2018, 2:00 pm

I don't think so.

melonfool
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 2939
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 11:18 am
Has thanked: 1365 times
Been thanked: 793 times

Re: What's going on with this law firm?

#171093

Postby melonfool » October 3rd, 2018, 2:01 pm

johnhemming wrote:I don't think so.


You don't think it's safe to use them or you don't think it means they are dodgy? :)

Mel

dionaeamuscipula
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1095
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 1:25 pm
Has thanked: 101 times
Been thanked: 374 times

Re: What's going on with this law firm?

#171129

Postby dionaeamuscipula » October 3rd, 2018, 3:58 pm

melonfool wrote:Hi

I've had correspondence from this legal firm. So I looked them up.

They claim to be called Hayes Connor. But the SRA shows as law firm of that name no longer registered: http://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/firm-b ... 20332.page

Checking the HC website they give a registration which, when searched on the SRA website, applies to: https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/firm- ... 32067.page

This is the HC websiter: https://www.hayesconnor.co.uk/contact/

They are presumably linked (geographical location etc would suggest it?). So, is the latter 'trading as'?* And is that OK for a law firm? I'd have thought they should be more open and not want to trade under the name of a 'closed' business?

*(actually, I have just double checked one of their letters and it does say HC is a 'trading style' of FD)

Is it safe to use them do people think?


Ta

Mel


https://www.hayesconnor.co.uk/hayes-con ... ean-group/

Quick look suggests they are legit.

DM

johnhemming
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 3858
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 7:13 pm
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 609 times

Re: What's going on with this law firm?

#171138

Postby johnhemming » October 3rd, 2018, 4:19 pm

melonfool wrote:I just wonder if this shows them as being a bit odd, or dodgy or anything?

I don't think so.

Clitheroekid
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 2856
Joined: November 6th, 2016, 9:58 pm
Has thanked: 1384 times
Been thanked: 3771 times

Re: What's going on with this law firm?

#171522

Postby Clitheroekid » October 4th, 2018, 10:49 pm

melonfool wrote:Is it safe to use them do people think?

The short answer is yes, in that they are a fully regulated firm of solicitors.

There seems to be quite a complicated background. There was a company called Hayes Connor Solicitors Ltd, but they changed their name to HCS (Liverpool) Ltd a few weeks ago. It seems they have ceased trading, but they were owned by the same people as F D Law Ltd, who appear also to trade under the name Forster Dean.

Unfortunately, this confusion is yet another side effect of the utterly wrong decision made by the Law Society to allow firms of solicitors to incorporate. Prior to that solicitors could only trade as sole principals or in partnership, so you knew who you were dealing with, and the fact that they were personally liable for the firm's debts was a pretty strong incentive to financial prudence.

However, now that solicitors can hide their incompetence and greed behind a limited company many of them act like double glazing salesmen / used car dealers and go bust with impunity, often arising, phoenix like, the next day leaving millions of pounds worth of unpaid creditors. In other words, just like any everyday spiv. This practice, which I personally consider disgraceful, has done a lot of damage to the profession as a whole, but our regulators, so keen to persecute small firms for minor technicalities, don't seem to care. Anyway, apologies for the entirely OT rant! ;)

Forster Dean / Hayes Connor / F D Law are quite a large firm, though like a lot of north west consumer oriented firms they're heavily involved in various ambulance chasing type activities. It would appear that the latest bandwagon is claims for data breaches, and I suspect this is why you were contacted. Quite how they obtain the data to contact victims of data breach is an interesting question ...

But although they're the type of firm I personally dislike they would appear quite safe to deal with so far as you as a prospective client are concerned.


Return to “Legal Issues (Practical)”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests