What Is The Public Attitude Towards Lawyers

[RaBLaw]

Here's a toss up.....What Is The Public Attitude Towards Lawyers

[DTCwordfan]

Q What do you call a lawyer with an IQ of 140?
A: Your Honour.
Q: What do you call a lawyer with an IQ of 80
A: A Member of Parliament.

[Barmaid]

Seriously, though - yes there are some lawyers who get "money for old rope". There are equally some lawyers with no scruples to the verge of being corrupt. Just like there are some dodgy plumbers, carpenters, electricians, accountants.

However, there are also some lawyers who work ridiculous hours; who charge their clients far less than they ought to (or even just "forget" to put in a fee note) and who will work ALL night just to make sure that they have every i dotted and every t crossed.

[Psybbo]

Barmaid, may I pay you a retainer

[DTCwordfan]

True Barmaid....particularly on pro bono work.....

[DTCwordfan]

I can recommend Sue, Grabbit & Run, sibton...........

[Psybbo]

No DT, I think I'll stick with ASBO's clerk

[craft1948]

The solicitors who did my coveyancing on my last 2 houses were rubbish.

[Barmaid]

The solicitors who dealt with Mr BM's employment tribunal claim were rubbish too, Craft. Luckily, Mr BM had me who was able to call up the senior partner and talk to him "lawyer to lawyer" at which point they pulled their socks up - even then it was too late and they buggered it up for him. We couldn't afford to take it any further.

Not every member of the public has that benefit though, which is how some people end up having such a really bad experience of lawyers.

On a daily basis I am horrified at some of the things I see.

[craft1948]

On the other hand my neighbours (changed each year) in my last house were students at the York Law College..............they certainly knew how to enjoy themselves :-(

[Clanad]

Difference between road kill and a dead lawyer on the road? Vultures will eat the road kill...

[FredPuli43]

I expect that senior doctors see mistakes in other doctors' work and that is true of all professions. Barmaid sees them in hers. So do I sometimes, but my main complaint is the extraordinary number of hours solicitors try to claim for if they know there's money in a case. I see bills for five hours' work on something that would take counsel half an hour at most, and I'm not talking about something specialist where the solicitor might have to spend time on research and checking but counsel in that field would know the answer straight away. (I once saw counsel's opinion which consisted of one word , "Yes", for which his clerk charged 5,000 guineas. The solicitor must have spent hours before deciding he daren't risk inflicting his own doubts on the lay client)

[TheHangman]

I Strongly suspect that opinions of the legal profession vary dependent on whether a person wins or loses the case.

[Canary42]

My experiences of lawyers are mixed. The solicitor who handled my first house purchase was brilliant, and he worked at weekends where necessary.

The solicitor on my second house purchase was a complete waste of space, I did most of his work myself, and he ignored my instructions.

The solicitor on my third house purchase was nothing special, but competent and efficient.

At my first jury service case, the prosecuting counsel was poor, the judge was slow but good.

At my second jury service case, once again the prosecution counsel was poor (on one of the days his deputy stood in and she was magnificent). The judge was a pain in the backside (and later turned out to be a paedophile).

So, as people have already stated, you get good and bad, as in most professions.