2 years ago I was arrested.
It was 6.00am and I was, as one would expect at that time of the morning, fast asleep.
I heard a loud banging on the front door and went to see what the problem was, there were 4 men and a woman standing in front of the door and they were all shouting at the top of their voices. They weren't in uniform but by the amount of times they shouted 'police, don't move' I realised that they were police!
I looked at them bemused. It was 6.00am, I had my pyjamas on and there was only one entrance to the premises, so where was I going to go?? Eventually, once they have calmed down, I invited them into the flat.
They proceeded to inform me that I was being arrested for mortgage fraud. I stayed very calm, I think that's what happens when you know you haven't done anything wrong. They spent 2 hours searching my flat and obviously found nothing. I was asked to change my clothes and was whisked away to a police station to be questioned.
I managed to text a friend what had happened and asked them to call an old employer to arrange for a solicitor to attend the police station. Having worked in criminal law for a couple of years, I knew the games that were played.
I was put into a cell and remained there for 4 hours until my solicitor arrived and the police were ready to interview me. I was eventually interviewed, the went on for an hour and we then had a break and resumed the interview and this went on for 5 hours.
It was quite amusing (well, i can say that now!) what the officers were accusing me of; I had been having an illicit affair with the main Defendant in this case; I was 'in' on the whole thing; I was a crooked solicitor, who was aiding these people with their mortgage fraud and the accusations went on. I did a no comment interview and sat silently, my mind blank.
The interviewing had finished and I was told that I was to be put on bail until a given date, I was fine with that, I knew that they didn't have any evidence, because there was no evidence. I was bailed and asked to return in 8 weeks time, by which time they, no doubt hoped they would have found SOME thing which would show my involvement, I knew they wouldn't.
Having been at the police station from 9am I was finally leaving at 3am the next morning. I politely thanked the officers and walked out of the police station, as I stepped out of the station I caught sight of my partner and the waterworks started. I cried, I cried like I have never cried before.
I held onto him with all the strength that I could muster as he guided me to the car.
The nightmare was only just beginning..........
Tuesday, 31 July 2012
Friday, 27 July 2012
Regulated or Unregulated - That is the question.
The prospect of becoming a solicitor generates different thoughts in everyone's minds; some people relish the thought of being admired ; some bask in the glory (when they are on a winning streak, of course); some people want to be rich and some people actually enjoy the law.
In truth, the world of law is very different to what people perceive it to be, I'm sure all jobs have their quirks but the law is different.
The fact is that when you are embarking on your legal career you have high expectations and perceptions of what to expect. We are given a false impression from Television programmes and what the glossy LPC brochures say.
This is very different to reality.
Your life is taken over by another being - they dictate what you can and what you can't do, this being is The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). They are the regulators of all solicitors in England and Wales and deal with complaints and the general day to day issues with solicitors.
They do an OK job, but in truth if they were doing a better job the legal profession wouldn't be on its knees right now.
Why is the profession on its knees? the simplest way of explaining it is that solicitors and the opening of new firms are not regulated in the fashion they should be. There has been an influx of small legal firms opening, stealing clients monies and running off with it, its not a secret, its on front pages on newspapers and the law society gazette. The answer for the innocent victims? - claim on the insurance of the form, this will take months and by the end of the whole saga the victims will either have had a nervous breakdown or become bankrupt.
How is that going to instill confidence in the public? why are checks not made on solicitors prior to them opening a firm? why are foreign solicitors not vetted to ensure that they are simply not being used as a scape goat for some other 'british qualified solicitor' who does not want to have their record tarnished? the fact is we are where we are because of the lack of regulation by the SRA. Simple.
The answer - Ensure that every single person wanting to qualify as a solicitor goes through a stringent interview and vetting process to ensure that they understand what 'being a solicitor' entails. Would it be deemed Politically Correct'? who cares? For the people that staunchly stand up for Political Correctness, ask them whether they would pay off a second or the third mortgage for someone that had been duped. No doubt the answer will be no.
Its easy to protest that certain things are not fair or are against peoples human rights but to be honest these people have never experienced or will never experience what it feels like to find out that the house that they 'sold', had actually been sold but the mortgage never paid off therefore making the victims still liable for that mortgage and a new mortgage (if they purchased a new home).
There should be a task force that attends every single new firm on a random check basis to ensure that everything is as it should be. People argue that the cost would be astronomical, why? where are the fees are paid by the 120,000 solicitors that practise in England and Wales for their practising certificate to practise? The fees are listed below.
http://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/pc-registration-renewal/fees/fee-policy.page#pracfee
The fact is that as a profession we are let down by our so called regulators, who take a fee and do not protect us from fraudulent solicitors, who in the end effect us all. Their fraudulent behaviour means that more paperwork has to be carried out by all solicitors to show transparency; insurance fees go up; practising certificate fee goes up.
There really needs to be a thorough shake up of the system in order to instill some confidence back into the public.
Rant over.
In truth, the world of law is very different to what people perceive it to be, I'm sure all jobs have their quirks but the law is different.
The fact is that when you are embarking on your legal career you have high expectations and perceptions of what to expect. We are given a false impression from Television programmes and what the glossy LPC brochures say.
This is very different to reality.
Your life is taken over by another being - they dictate what you can and what you can't do, this being is The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). They are the regulators of all solicitors in England and Wales and deal with complaints and the general day to day issues with solicitors.
They do an OK job, but in truth if they were doing a better job the legal profession wouldn't be on its knees right now.
Why is the profession on its knees? the simplest way of explaining it is that solicitors and the opening of new firms are not regulated in the fashion they should be. There has been an influx of small legal firms opening, stealing clients monies and running off with it, its not a secret, its on front pages on newspapers and the law society gazette. The answer for the innocent victims? - claim on the insurance of the form, this will take months and by the end of the whole saga the victims will either have had a nervous breakdown or become bankrupt.
How is that going to instill confidence in the public? why are checks not made on solicitors prior to them opening a firm? why are foreign solicitors not vetted to ensure that they are simply not being used as a scape goat for some other 'british qualified solicitor' who does not want to have their record tarnished? the fact is we are where we are because of the lack of regulation by the SRA. Simple.
The answer - Ensure that every single person wanting to qualify as a solicitor goes through a stringent interview and vetting process to ensure that they understand what 'being a solicitor' entails. Would it be deemed Politically Correct'? who cares? For the people that staunchly stand up for Political Correctness, ask them whether they would pay off a second or the third mortgage for someone that had been duped. No doubt the answer will be no.
Its easy to protest that certain things are not fair or are against peoples human rights but to be honest these people have never experienced or will never experience what it feels like to find out that the house that they 'sold', had actually been sold but the mortgage never paid off therefore making the victims still liable for that mortgage and a new mortgage (if they purchased a new home).
There should be a task force that attends every single new firm on a random check basis to ensure that everything is as it should be. People argue that the cost would be astronomical, why? where are the fees are paid by the 120,000 solicitors that practise in England and Wales for their practising certificate to practise? The fees are listed below.
http://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/pc-registration-renewal/fees/fee-policy.page#pracfee
The fact is that as a profession we are let down by our so called regulators, who take a fee and do not protect us from fraudulent solicitors, who in the end effect us all. Their fraudulent behaviour means that more paperwork has to be carried out by all solicitors to show transparency; insurance fees go up; practising certificate fee goes up.
There really needs to be a thorough shake up of the system in order to instill some confidence back into the public.
Rant over.
The Start Of My Journey
What makes someone want to become a solicitor? Is it the money? the prestige? the glamour?
Who knows?......
I wanted to become a solicitor because from the age of 16 I would go with my mum to work every Saturday and do the post, which I found very exciting (I know how sad that sounds but I was 16!)
I would wander around the office when I had done my task and look into all the huge offices filled with certificates on the walls and pictures of children nestled on the desk.
On one occasion I went into one of the offices and sat on the 'big bosses' chair. I felt like a princess.
The chair was leather and had gold studs around the edge, I loved it.
I decided then, that I wanted an office and chair like that and I was going to whatever it took to get it.
I sailed through GCSE's and A Levels with good grades in all subjects which allowed me to attend a Central London University. I attended on a regular basis and obtained the obligatory 2:1 (Hons) in Law, therefore having the letters LLB after my name forever.
School, College and University were all fun and were filled with drinking, socialising and the odd amount of studying.
What no one tells you is that the REAL journey begins when you start your work experience and the LPC.
I decided after university to take a couple of years 'out' to find out what it was that I wanted to do - solicitor or barrister and it was during this experience that I realised that the legal world was a dark and savage world where people will do anything to get where they want to get.
Who knows?......
I wanted to become a solicitor because from the age of 16 I would go with my mum to work every Saturday and do the post, which I found very exciting (I know how sad that sounds but I was 16!)
I would wander around the office when I had done my task and look into all the huge offices filled with certificates on the walls and pictures of children nestled on the desk.
On one occasion I went into one of the offices and sat on the 'big bosses' chair. I felt like a princess.
The chair was leather and had gold studs around the edge, I loved it.
I decided then, that I wanted an office and chair like that and I was going to whatever it took to get it.
I sailed through GCSE's and A Levels with good grades in all subjects which allowed me to attend a Central London University. I attended on a regular basis and obtained the obligatory 2:1 (Hons) in Law, therefore having the letters LLB after my name forever.
School, College and University were all fun and were filled with drinking, socialising and the odd amount of studying.
What no one tells you is that the REAL journey begins when you start your work experience and the LPC.
I decided after university to take a couple of years 'out' to find out what it was that I wanted to do - solicitor or barrister and it was during this experience that I realised that the legal world was a dark and savage world where people will do anything to get where they want to get.
Thursday, 26 July 2012
The False Dream
When I was young I lived on a council estate in a dire part of London. I dreamed that one day I would be rich and have a huge house, a shiny fast car and enough money to buy anything I wanted.
I have it all now.
The big house, the shiny fast car, the gorgeous husband and the ability to shop and never have to ask "how much is that'.
It is my journey from being bought up in what some would call a slum to living in one of London's more affluent areas, rubbing shoulders with some rather 'important' people and having everything I thought I wanted.
I have worked hard, I have been lucky and I have also done many things that I wish I could change.
Life deals you a set of playing cards and it is your job to ensure that we make the most of them. Each day I will post about my journey from the very beginning.
I hope you enjoy the read.
I have it all now.
The big house, the shiny fast car, the gorgeous husband and the ability to shop and never have to ask "how much is that'.
It is my journey from being bought up in what some would call a slum to living in one of London's more affluent areas, rubbing shoulders with some rather 'important' people and having everything I thought I wanted.
I have worked hard, I have been lucky and I have also done many things that I wish I could change.
Life deals you a set of playing cards and it is your job to ensure that we make the most of them. Each day I will post about my journey from the very beginning.
I hope you enjoy the read.
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