I would like to say that most lawyers are in the job to help people and that their main concern is to resolve a dispute, putting the client first and for that, accepting compensation.....at a reasonable rate. Unfortunately, many lawyers are depicted as ambulance-chasers and money-grabbers. Some are worse - which is why lawyers are so heavily regulated.... Yes, the law is a difficult job as it requires a lot of skills - many lawyers are without the "interpersonal skills" which should be key, to be able to speak to a client and empathise, work with them, relate to them and not come across as some R2-D2 robot....with targets to hit. A lot of lawyers out there come across as brusque, completely full of themselves - they "know it all" and in truth, the person you are dealing with may not be that great.....yes, there are regulatory obligations to comply with but we have seen so many incompetent lawyers over the years. It's not surprising that the general public are wary. Case in point. A recent client wanted advice on an immigration application to settle in the UK - this person is a multi-millionaire in the UK. Her lawyers caused so many delays and their ineptitude means that this lady faces being banned from the UK despite the fact she has paid millions in to the UK economy for her business! She paid nearly £25,000 for bad advice (from a seemingly reputable London-based law firm no less). We did help her with a formal complaint and her case is pending but you do have to wonder - what happened! It is a prime example of the need to shop around - you need to be with a law firm who fully understands your needs, you need a synergy with them especially with something so important. If you have questions, don't be afraid to ask. They are a service - you are a consumer. If in any doubt, look elsewhere - there will be other firms more than happy to help you!...... As it happened we take these issues very seriously and it's one reason why Law Clinic is popular - we don't do "BS", we help people, we genuinely care and offer out of hours consultations if required........

It's a fact of life that we all incur some sort of debt, whether it's a credit card, a personal loan, a mortgage, car finance and so on. Very few people can live a life paying for everything they want with no debt - even the very wealthy use debt to finance their lifestyle (as it's not counted as "income" for tax reasons...but that's another story) For this topic we are talking about consumer contracts (some are business contracts but we will focus on a scenario that your loan is where you are a consumer and you are in trouble for whatever reason)... Defaulting on a loan agreement does carry serious consequences - your credit record will take a hit as the lender has an obligation to report the history to the various credit sites (in the UK this would be Experian, Equifax, Trans Union). Those defaults will remain on the record for up to 6 years in the UK. If a lender goes to court and wins, a court order becomes a public record after a month - it goes on your credit record and all lenders can see it. By now your record will be severely damaged. Even if you pay off the court ordered sum the record is changed to "satisfied" but the mark remains there...... If you are unable to pay a debt the key is to contact your lender as soon as possible. Most of them are amenable and willing to help - they may offer you a payment holiday or a restructure of the loan itself. Some may take an offer to settle the full balance, or they may agree to freeze interest. If it's an unsecured home then your assets are not at risk but again, if the lender goes to court and you still can't pay, they would possibly enforce that order (bankruptcy is common) and then any assets you have could be taken. A lot of people think that if they leave a debt behind and they emigrate, it will go away. It won't go away - the lender could try to trace you or they could obtain a court order in your absence (though after 6 years your credit record would be wiped clean). Some countries are very tough on debts - most treat them as civil matters but others take a more robust stance - for example in the UAE they treat is as fraud. Say your rent cheque bounces, the landlord could report you and the Police would stop you from leaving the country until you paid - some people are locked up though again, it's usually places like Dubai that this is an issue.....even so, it would be very unpleasant to find out there is an arrest warrant out for you over a small debt!

Welcome to Law Clinic's Support Hub!. We have years of experience in litigation, dispute resolution, contract law, consumer rights, landlord and tenant - and much more!. In our view most disputes can be resolved with effective tactics, the right approach and without having to pay a law firm....... We aim to offer you the tools to help resolve a dispute before it escalates, saving you time, money and stress!. Please note that on this platform we do not offer legal advice - it is for general information and guidance purposes only and there is no client-attorney relationship either. *We will be offering a subscription option shortly which will offer access to templates (e.g. letters, court forms), a solicitor-checking service and advice - we will publish further details in due course)* Thanks!