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Welcome to the Forums - Some Information to Help You |
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Welcome to the Forums - Some Information to Help You |
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Old hands... Click here to go direct to the Forums
Newbies... Please read...
The Forums are here for our Members to make what they will of them. They are for eXchanging information and views on any aspects of the legal profession and it's people, the regulators, the law, our Courts... or any related topics. Other Members may be able to assist you and you may be able to help others. You can discuss ideas and improvements to the site, make suggestions and have your say. You can sound-off, air your grievances or give praise... and maybe benefit from the wisdom and experiences of others. A problem shared may be a problem halved and who knows what else will come out of the woodwork or what you may inspire someone else to share? You can remain anonymous or "tell the world" who you are and what you do. You can search for posts and topics that interest you and you can send private mail to other Members...
This service is FREE but like most "clubs" there are a few rules you agree to abide by when you sign up. I dislike rules or trying to tell people what to do, but we need a few. The general rules are on the signup agreement and also here - most are just common courtesy to your fellow man. A general disclaimer is here. In addition, a few of the "boards" carry some additional warnings about what is acceptable and what is not.
Currently the titles of the various bulletin boards are as follows: -
Feedback, Ideas and Suggestions
Books & Publications - Recommendations, Loans, Swaps and For Sale
Litigants In Person - Views, Pros & Cons, Experiences and Advice
The Regulators? Your Views and Experiences
The Law and Legal Problems, Help & Advice
Horror Stories, Grievances, Bad Service, Villains and Con-men
Success Stories, Good News, Good Service, Hero's and Praise
Help Wanted... Does Anybody know?
Help Offered... Does Anybody want to know...?
Questions, FAQ, Information and more...
For some general tips on posting and answering posts click here.
Need more boards? Why not make a posting in Feedback, Ideas and Suggestions?
Feedback, Ideas and Suggestions
Have your say on how this site should evolve. Got a brilliant idea? Why not share it? Is there something you like or don't like or which could be done better? Tell us all. Do you see an idea or a topic here you agree or disagree with, support or really hate? Add your comments - the more interest shown in a topic the more likely a good idea will be adopted and a bad idea discarded. We need to evolve. There is genius and good ideas out there. Don't let this go to waste. Please have your say...
Books & Publications - Recommendations, Loans, Swaps and For Sale
Books can be invaluable especially to people representing themselves. Do you know any good titles you'd care to pass on? If possible, please include the ISBN number. Law books are extremely expensive and the library service is not particularly good in this area. Do you have books you could lend or, if you have finished with them, sell? Advertise them here... it's FREE. Do you need a book or some titles dealing with a specific subject? Place a "Want-Ad" - maybe someone will suggest a title or even have the book you are after. Don't forget Amazon. Books can be fun too... Discuss what you like in this board... as long as it relates to the written word.
Litigants In Person - Views, Pros & Cons, Experiences and Advice
People represent themselves for many reasons. For many there's no choice - they simply can't afford to pay a professional and Legal Aid has been cut. Many people and small businesses successfully pursue small claims through the Courts in an economical and proportionate manner - you can even claim on-line these days. Figures suggest that LIP's are on the increase. A great deal of the "work" solicitors charge £100's / hr for is simple form filling... but there are pitfalls. Some things are not obvious and you probably need all the help you can get. We hope to be able (eventually) to provide some really useful help, advice information and links. This board is one tool. Feel free to ask and answer questions, pass on your tips etc... and the very BEST of luck - being a LIP can be lonely (this Forum might help there) - but if you try you are certainly praise-worthy. If you are also successful then you should be proud.
Her Majesty's Court Service? Well, maybe - but the key word is "service" - we pay for it, we can certainly discuss it. Is it good? How does it work? (Does it work?) What is wrong with it? What is right with it? The Court system is ancient, complicated and confusing and many people are a little afraid of it. Learning about it can only help. Ask and answer questions, share your views, discuss anything to do with OUR Courts.
Judges are an odd lot - strange titles and "ranks" - good and bad. They are certainly men (and women) of power who enjoy an independence few others can boast. There is little or no transparency to their deeds or actions and even if they are investigated the "results" are kept secret. It is true that men were men before they were judges. All persons in power should be open to scrutiny, discussion and debate by the people... so here's your chance to have your say, raise questions and air your views. Who shall judge the judges? There is a judge in all of us... this "court" sits 24/7.
The Regulators? Your Views and Experiences
Have you ever complained to the "regulators" of the legal profession? The Law Society's Office for the Supervision of Solicitors (OSS - now called the CSS - "Consumer Complaints Service")? The Bar Council? The Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman (OLSO) or the new Legal Services Complaints Commissioner? Were you satisfied with the outcome? Were they fair? Did they deal with your complaints? Were they efficient and courteous? Were they incredibly slow? Did they display a deliberate Willing Blindness, refuse to deal with the issues, write infuriating and seemingly incompetent "ignore" letters? Did they cover up, collude with and try to protect the people they were supposed to be investigating? What of the future - December 2004 saw a major Government Review - will anything change? Will it be better or worse? Here's your chance to discuss. Here's some potentially useful advice. Do YOU have any tips to share?
The Law and Legal Problems, Help & Advice
This is a tricky one. One should always beware of free advice. Sometimes things that are "free" are worth exactly what you pay for them - on other occasions sound advice can be obtained for nothing more than a polite request. The problem is determining which is which. David Swarbrick (a solicitor) runs what appears to be a very good forum available from his home pages at http://www.swarb.co.uk/ With over 2000 pages he certainly seems to not mind sharing information that other solicitors would be only too pleased to charge for. Anyone seeking "free legal advice" could do worse than joining SWARB's forums and, indeed, any others that exist in cyberspace. Be very critical of all answers received and ALWAYS to check the FACTS for yourself.
Having said that there is one crucial thing about Forums and cyberspace. Years ago it was said that if you want to know the answer to almost anything then keep asking the question in as many places as you can - SOMEONE knows the answer and will give it. This board then is an extension of that principle... ANOTHER place to ask and (hopefully) answer questions. Just be careful what you DO with any answers you receive... read all of SWARB's warnings and apply them here as well.
Some months ago I was in contact with a solicitor who had retired in disgust about what the legal profession had become. I am hoping to get him to maybe take an active part in the running (and possibly moderating) this board. Maybe it should also be sub-divided as Mr. Swarbeck's Forums are - most things are possible given time. Who knows, others may emerge and we could end up with a crack volunteer "legal team" offering something really useful. In the mean time, feel free to post your questions here... the more interest shown the more likely it is that someone knowledgeable will take a real interest and get this on track for bigger and better things. Good luck.
Horror Stories, Grievances, Bad Service, Villains and Con-men
Your chance to sound-off, get things off your chest, warn others to beware, show that action is necessary... and just maybe someone will offer sympathy, advice or have a really good idea that can help you. Please try to remember that no matter how much the perpetrator deserves contempt some readers may be offended by extreme language. It is often more effective to stick to the facts or try to inject some grim humour. Whatever you write, please remember one golden rule when using this board: You should not name the individual or firm concerned and it should not be possible to identify them from what you write. This is vital and any posts which breach this will be removed or edited and your Membership may be withdrawn. If anyone wants to know the name of the individual or Firm they can always "PM" you (send you a private message) and then you are free to say what you like.
Success Stories, Good News, Good Service, Hero's and Praise
Tell others about your successes. Extol the virtues of a good practitioner or service and sing the praises of any heros in the legal profession - just don't name them. Tell us your tale and give hope to others. Whatever you write, please remember one golden rule when using this board: You should not name the individual or firm concerned and it should not be possible to identify them from what you write. This is vital and any posts which breach this will be removed and your Membership will be withdrawn. If anyone wants to know the name of the individual or Firm they can always "PM" you (send you a private message) and then you are free to say what you like. This may sound daft but the reasons for this rule are here.
Help Wanted... Does Anybody know... ?
Do you need to know more about a legal professional or firm? If you have created a "calling card" for the individual or firm in our dataBase then why not draw attention to it? Someone with the right knowledge or experience may spot your "Want Ad". There is also a chance that this request will be picked up by the Internet search engines. This may be good for you and for all of us.
This is one of the very few boards where you CAN name the individual or firm - in fact, we recommend you put it in the title (subject) of the post. What you mustn't do is include anything more than the most basic details that would be found on one of our "calling cards". You may NOT place any links in this post whatsoever - not even links to this site. Please just say that you would like information, nothing more.
If there is no "calling card" for the individual or firm then please create one before posting in this forum. Click here to search or here to create.
If you are responding to a "Want Ad" you can use the PM feature but it is much BETTER if you make contact via the "calling card". This will allow other Members to contact you through the calling card system in future.
Help Offered... Does Anybody want to know...?
This is the opposite of "Help Wanted". Do you have information to share about a legal professional or firm? If you have created a "calling card" for the individual or firm in our dataBase then why not draw attention to it? Someone in need of your knowledge or experience may spot your offer. There is also a chance that this will be picked up by the Internet search engines. This may be good for all of us.
This is one of the very few boards where you CAN name the individual or firm - in fact, we recommend you put it in the title (subject) of the post. What you mustn't do is include anything more than the most basic details that would be found on one of our "calling cards". You may NOT place any links in this post whatsoever - not even links to this site. Please just say that you have information, nothing more.
If there is no "calling card" for the individual or firm then please create one before posting in this forum. Click here to search or here to create.
If you are responding to an "Offer" you can use the PM feature but it is much BETTER if you make contact via the "calling card". This will allow other Members to contact you through the calling card system in future.
Law students? Yes PLEASE - YOU should certainly be encouraged to participate in this site. You will probably be more knowledgeable than most of us. You may have studied the history of Law which gives you an insight. Above all you are the future givers of service good or bad. Please feel welcome to use this board to discuss anything to do with Law Students, education, the education establishments and (perhaps most interestingly of all) any views you may have on the past, present or future of the law and the legal profession. I think a LOT of non-students, layman and legal professionals will be interested in reading and perhaps responding to what you have to say. Britain is changing, indeed the world is changing as technology outpaces Law. If this site can bring about any lasting good then it is likely to be through tomorrow's legal professionals. We'd also welcome your input to Ideas & Suggestions or any other board.
Questions, FAQ, Information and more...
Most sites contain an FAQ to explain how things work. The problem with a new site is that nobody has asked... let alone "frequently". Please ask them here.
We cover the British Isles which includes Scotland and Ireland where the law is slightly different... in saying that, my own scant knowledge barely extends to England & Wales. Would we cover other countries? We might, but we'd need a LOT of help - people "on the ground" as it were. Could our foreign visitors start their own? Of course, and we might be able to offer some assistance there too... and some encouragement and some link exchanges. In the mean time anyone interested in similar "problems" in other countries can use this board to register interest and discuss problems and ideas. It may help you to get off the ground or inspire US with some ideas. PLEASE can I ask that all postings are made and answered in English? We have to take some responsibility for content and if we can't understand what is being written we have an impossible task. Thank you... we'd love to hear from you.
Exactly what the title says... Anything that doesn't really fit into any of the above. If you need more specific boards then please make a post in Ideas & Suggestions. Normal Forum rules apply here despite the generic title.
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Notes & Reasons The reasons for not allowing posts in the "Horror Stories" board to identify the perpetrator are probably obvious enough (getting us sued for liable or defamation is not an idea we relish and it could happen).
Who could possibly object to us publicising how great someone is in the "Praise" board? Well, that is NOT the issue. We would like to stay as neutral as possible - neither making recommendations or warnings... our Members can do that privately and in safety... but THAT is not really the issue either...
The very worst thing we could do for our Members is to allow a dishonest "professional" to (falsely) advertise their "services" through us. The safeguards we have against this are not infallible and this rule has to apply. Whilst we would love to promote good lawyers if we could do so safely, we fear inadvertently undoing our fundamental aims FAR more (even more than we fear law-suits). A "bad" posting under "Horror Stories" might just be edited - a "bad" posting under "Praise" is an automatic ban. No exceptions, no second chances, no correspondence. If we ever do catch a dishonest "professional" attempting to abuse this site, details will be passed to a number of "Gentlemen of the Web" who run very different sites to this one. Be warned. Other Members, please be vigilant... guess what?... you can eXchange information with US too :-)
