The Gazette 1996

GAZETTE

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1996

P R A C T I C E

N O T E S

Investigation of Complaints

a d v e r se p o s s e s s i on will sort o ut a ny d i f f i c u l t i es w h i ch m i g ht n e c e s s i t a te r e f e r e n ce to t he sale o r p u r c h a se file at a later d a t e. H o w e v e r, it is a l so valid to a r g u e that a v e n d o r 's file n e ed n ot b e r e t a i n ed f o r this p e r i o d, b e c a u se the p u r c h a s e r 's solicitor will h a v e h a d the o p p o r t u n i ty of f u ll i n v e s t i g a t i on of title a n d will b e p r e c l u d ed f r o m r a i s i ng q u e r i es p o st c o m p l e t i o n, e x c e pt in c a s es of f r a u d or m i s r e p r e s e n t a t i o n.

Conveyancing Expert Witnesses

T h e S o l i c i t o rs ( A m e n d m e n t) A ct 1994 limits t he i n v e s t i g a t i on of that c a t e g o ry of c o m p l a i n ts b y the L a w S o c i e ty w h i ch relate to the p r o v i s i on of legal s e r v i c es to a p e r i od of five y e a rs b e f o re the d a te on w h i ch the c o m p l a i nt is m a d e . Files m u s t be r e t a i n ed f o r this p e r i o d.

1. A n e x p e rt w i t n e ss s h o u ld b e i n s t r u c t ed at the earliest p o s s i b le s t a ge in a c a s e a n d n o later t h an S t a t e m e nt of C l a i m or D e f e n c e s t a g e s, as a p p r o p r i a t e. 2. T h e e x p e rt w i t n e ss s h o u ld be g i v en p r o p er i n s t r u c t i o ns a nd a p r o p er C a s e to A d v i se w i th a p p r o p r i a te a nd r e l e v a nt d o c u m e n t s. 3. A c o n s u l t a t i on s h o u ld b e h e ld w i th the e x p e rt w i t n e ss as s o on as the w i t n e ss h a s f u r n i s h ed an o p i n i o n. 4. A n e x p e rt w i t n e ss s h o u ld b e a s k ed to g i ve e v i d e n ce o n m a t t e rs of c o n v e y a n c i ng p r a c t i ce o n l y. 5. S o l i c i t o rs s h o u ld e n g a g e their o w n e x p e rt w i t n e s s es a n d n ot rely o n the C o n v e y a n c i ng C o mm i t t ee to p r o v i de

Microfiche/Imaging

S o m e solicitors will p r e f er to retain r e c o r ds o n m i c r o f i c h e / i m a g i ng r a t h er t h an the o r i g i n al file. T h e s a me r u l es of e v i d e n ce a p p ly to s u ch r e c o r ds as w o u ld a p p ly to p a p er files.

Infant Cases

A s t i me d o e s n ot b e g in to r un a g a i n st i n f a n ts until their m a j o r i t y, i n f a nt files m u s t b e i d e n t i f i ed a n d r e t a i n ed f o r the a p p r o p r i a te p e r i o d.

Niall Casey, Professional Guidance Committee.

Persons of Unsound Mind

A solicitor c a n n ot a c c e pt i n s t r u c t i o ns f r o m a p e r s on of u n s o u nd m i n d. H o w e v e r, o c c a s i o n a l l y, f o l l o w i ng the c o m p l e t i on of c a s es t h e re m a y be a s u g g e s t i on b y third p a r t i es that i n s t r u c t i o ns s h o u ld n ot h a v e b e en a c c e p t e d. In a ny s u ch c a s e, the file s h o u ld be r e t a i n ed i n d e f i n i t e l y.

Personal Injury List - No Show by Solicitors It h as b e en b r o u g ht to the L i t i g a t i on C o mm i t t e e 's attention that t h e re are a j c o n s i d e r a b le n u m b e r of ' n o s h o w s' by solicitors, b o th p l a i n t i f fs a n d d e f e n d a n t s, in the D u b l in p e r s o n al i n j u ry H i gh C o u rt list. S o l i c i t o rs are r e m i n d ed of their o b l i g a t i o n s, as O f f i c e rs of the C o u r t, to a t t e nd b e f o re the C o u rt a n d i n f o rm the C o u rt w h e t h er o r not a c a se is settled, or g o i ng o n. S o l i c i t o rs a l so h a v e an o b l i g a t i on to f e l l ow p r a c t i t i o n e rs a n d to the litigants to e n s u re that a ny list is a live list, a nd not c l o g g ed w i th d e a d - w o o d. T h e s o l i c i t o r s' p r o f e s s i on is b e i ng b r o u g ht into d i s r e p u te by the c o n t i n u i ng f a i l u re of solicitors to a t t e nd at the call- o v e r of p e r s o n al i n j u ry lists in the H i g h C o u r t in D u b l i n. T h e S o c i e ty v i e ws m o s t s e r i o u s ly the b e h a v i o ur of solicitors w h o treat the C o u rt w i th s u ch d i s r e s p e c t, a nd w o u ld u r ge solicitors in the s t r o n g e st p o s s i b le t e r ms to deal w i th this lapse.

o n e. T h e c h o i ce n e ed n ot b e c o n f i n ed to m e m b e r s of the C o mm i t t e e.

6. A n e x p e rt w i t n e ss is n ot an a d v o c a te f o r the p a r ty w h o c a l ls the w i t n e s s.

Other Matters

All o t h er files n e ed o n ly b e r e t a i n ed f o r six y e a r s.

7. A n e x p e rt w i t n e ss s h o u ld n ot b e e x p e c t ed to a p p e ar on a c o n t i n g e n cy f e e basis.

If a s o l i c i t or c o n t i n u es to act o n b e h a lf of a c l i e nt f o r a p e r i od l o n g er t h an six y e a rs it m a y be d e s i r a b le to retain all the files of that client.

Conveyancing Committee

Destruction of Files and Other Papers

Books of Account

S t a t u t o ry I n s t r u m e nt N o . 3 0 4 of 1984 ( C l a u se 2 0 ) p r o v i d es as f o l l o w s:

M e m b e r s f r e q u e n t ly s e ek t he g u i d a n ce of t he c o mm i t t ee in r e l a t i on to the d e s t r u c t i on of files a n d o t h er p a p e r s. T h e m a t t er is n ot g o v e r n ed by r e g u l a t i o n s.

"Every solicitor should preserve for at least ten years from the date of the last entry therein, all accounts books, ledgers, reconciliation statements and records kept by him under these regulations ".

Conveyancing Files

M o s t solicitors retain c o n v e y a n c i ng files f o r t w e l ve y e a r s, t a k i ng the v i ew that

Litigation Committee

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T h i s i n c l u d es r e t u r n ed c a s h ed c h e q u e s.

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