The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a complaint about an advertisement which claimed that solicitors routinely overcharged by 20%.

Recovery Ltd, a sorry bunch of bottom feeders claims management company, ran an ad offering to help readers recover lawyers' fees they had paid. It urged punters to "discover the tricks law firms use to get extra from you", and suggested that "on average, a solicitor overcharges you by 20%".

A punchy statement, and one with which Hertford firm Martin Shepherd Solicitors took umbrage. It complained to the ASA which asked Recovery Ltd to substantiate the ad. In an argument so poor it should be on benefits, the claims company maintained that law costs draft companies only recover their fees from solicitors if they claw back one-fifth or more of their client’s legal costs. Ergo, "if most solicitors did not overcharge by 20%, the law cost industry would no longer exist.”

    A claims management company yesterday

Clearly it's patent nonsense to suggest that because costs companies make money if a costs claim is reduced by 20% that it follows that “most” solicitors overcharge by the same amount. And so, unsurprisingly, a weary ASA ordered that the advertisement must not appear again and and told Recovery Ltd "not to claim in future that solicitors overcharged their clients". Although as of yesterday Recovery Ltd's website still made the claim:

   


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Comments

Roll On Friday 25 June 16 07:51

If the Ad is still up and the ASA has said it must now be taken down the ASA should be informed. It is probably also a criminal breach of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and Trading Standards might went to get involved. Victims have rights to sue under those 2008 regulations now as the law was modified to permit that to happen.

Roll On Friday 27 June 16 17:36

20%?!

If ever I instruct a solicitor who only overcharges by 20%, I'll give them a lot of repeat business!