The Gazette 1996

GAZETTE

APRIL/MAY 1996

The Editor The

advertising p l oy not d e s e r v i ng of a p r o f e s s i o n al w h o has r e c e i v ed years of training in the veracity of his wo rd either s p o k en or written. It is an insincere, incorrect and m i s l e a d i ng marketing ploy. We h a ve a l w a ys b e en trained to act r e s p o n s i b ly and with integrity towards our clients. Th is tout is an a b omi n a t i on of our training. To s u g g e st that e v e ry or any first c o n s u l t a t i on is free is a m i s n omer and an insult to the i n t e l l i g e n ce of the public at large. We h a ve never, nor will w e ever, p r o v i de our s e r v i c es free. That is not to say that there are not o c c a s i o ns w h e n w e f o r e go our charges. Th is is a prerogative of the p r o f e s s i on and s hou ld not be used as a marketing twist. But to f o r e go our right to charge a f e e wh i ch is fair is to u n d e rm i ne o u r s e l v e s, our p r o f e s s i on and the pub l ic at large. T h e practice of i s s u i ng b e l o w - c o st qu o t a t i o ns in s e l l i ng our s e r v i c es is a p e r n i c i o us assault on our very e x i s t e n c e. It has b e c o me an evil wh i ch is prevalent in d ome s t ic c o n v e y a n c i ng at a t ime w h e n that area of wo rk has b e c o me a m i n e f i e l d. On c e resorted to, b e l o w - c o st selling o b s e r v es no base. The s e r v i ce is dictated by price, the l ower the price the l ow er the service. The e x p e r i e n ce of our En g l i sh c o l l e a g u es is a l e s s on to all of us. If there is no price base, there is no standard base, s o on there will be no p r o f e s s i o n al base. We h a ve b e c o me a p r o f e s s i on under s i e g e, not f r om the public, but f r om within. In d ome s t ic c o n v e y a n c i ng w e h a ve a b a n d o n ed the right, the duty, to strike a f e e wh i ch is e c o n om i c. T h o se c ha r g i ng t h e se b e l o w - c o st f e es h a ve no s e n se of responsibility to us. T h ey are e a g er to help t h em s e l v es by netting the catch. T h ey p o a ch for the pu r p o se of gutting their c o l l e a g u es and the public.

c omp l e x i t i es of the law I b e l i e ve they are worth more than a c h e ap quote or "first c o n s u l t a t i on free".

Gazette Law S o c i e ty of Ireland, Blackhall Place, Dublin 7.

Yours sincerely,

Cut Price Soliciting

John

Dillon-Leetch,

T. Dillon-Leetch

& Sons,

Ballyhaunis, Co.

De ar Ma d am,

Mayo.

T h e story is told and I b e l i e ve it to be true - Me s s rs N i c e, Ne at and T i dy h a ve a practice in a large provincial t own. Mr. Ne at w a s a pp r o a c h ed by a client w h o w as s e l l i ng a h o u s e. The price £ 7 5 , 0 0 0, the qu e s t i on "what will it c o st me to sell", the reply " £ 8 5 0 ", the r e s p o n se "you must be j o k i n g ". T h e c o l l e a g ue e x p l a i n ed all the wo r k, i n v e s t i g a t i on of title and p l a nn i n g, preparing contracts, d e a l i ng with Re qu i s i t i o n s, searches, c l o s i n g, p a y i ng o ff mo r t g a g e, F am i ly H o m e Protection, c omp l i a n ce etc. etc. T h e client w a s not imp r e s s e d. A l r e a dy another c o l l e a g ue Mr. Smart o f Me s s r s. Smart & A s s had qu o t ed him £ 3 5 0 "all in". Our c o l l e a g ue s u g g e s t ed that the client s h o u ld g o back to Mr. Smart and i n f o rm h im that Mr. N e a t 's quotation w as £ 2 5 0 . The client c ame back to Mr. Ne at to thank h im for the great f a v o ur d o ne as Me s s r s. Smart & A s s had agreed to reduce their charge to £ 1 5 0 "all in". Ma ny c o l l e a g u es will h a ve had similar e x p e r i e n c es wh e re p r o f e s s i o n a ls feel o b l i g ed to cater to a price rather than a standard. Ten years a g o, b u s es with M a y o registrations a s s emb l ed in B l a c kh a ll P l a ce carrying o p p o n e n ts to advertising. T h e v i ew taken by ma ny practitioners at the t ime w a s that the introduction of advertising in the p r o f e s s i on w o u ld result in a l ow e r i ng o f standards. A l t h o u gh the proposal w a s s u c c e s s f u l ly o p p o s ed at that stage, it w a s later introduced.

Obi tuaries

James Binchy (admitted 1 9 4 5) died 2 0 March 1996.

Susan Bowler Geraghty 1 9 6 3) died 6 April 1996.

(admitted

Joan Binchy ( w i fe of Past President, Don Binchy and mother of Co u n c il Memb e r, Donald Binchy) died 7 April 1996.

Martin M. (Maxie) Halley (admitted 1 9 3 2) died 8 April 1 9 9 6.

Thomas K. O'Connor (admitted 1 9 4 8) died 8 April 1 9 96 ( S e n i or Ta x i ng Master to H i gh Court and S u p r eme Court). d i ed 12 April 1 9 96 (daughter of Mr. J. Caw l e y, Solicitor, Dub l i n ). Barbara Quigley

Sol icitors Confidential Helpl ine J U ST CALL 284 84 84

D o e s the tout "first c o n s u l t a t i on free" h a ve any f o u n d a t i on in fact. In my s u bm i s s i on it d o e s n ' t. It's a c h e ap

Our p r o f e s s i o n al skills and t ime are worth s ome t h i n g. With the increasing

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