Madam, - What is the appropriate sanction for solicitors who are found to have overcharged clients?
If such solicitors deducted their fees from the clients' funds, surely the minimum sanction should be to debar them from holding clients' funds in the future.
As a related point, why are solicitors and auctioneers allowed to deduct their fees from money belonging to a client? The rest of the business world, except for banks, issues invoices and then receives payment from clients, assuming the clients are satisfied with the service and the related fees. If this were required of solicitors, would we have the current cases of alleged double charging?
The removal of this practice would make the charging of fees by both solicitors and auctioneers much more accountable and transparent. - Yours, etc,
JAMES WALSH, Summerhill, Co Meath.