Hil Low
2/5
I engaged with Joanne Kerr from Peter Bowles Solicitors in Lisburn, hoping for a professional and efficient service. While the staff were polite throughout our interactions, I am disappointed with the overall progress and the costs incurred during the 18 months of engagement.
In this period, very little tangible progress was made beyond studying my GP and hospital notes, writing a letter to my insurer regarding legal cover, and seeking quotes from medical consultants for a report. Despite this limited work, I was shocked to receive an invoice for over £2,000, with £1,800 attributed to tasks that seemed minimal.
When I requested a breakdown of the costs, I discovered that every single email exchanged between myself and Joanne was charged, leading to exorbitant fees. For instance, a simple email response, which often took just a few minutes to read, was billed at £17.50. Even my initial meeting, which was an introductory conversation before I had formally engaged the company, incurred a charge of £227—though this was later removed after I raised concerns.
To give this perspective I have attached an image of the case notes which have cost me £1779 to be exact. I have dealt with solicitors in the past in respect of house sales and estates which in both cases are often not straightforward and have never had such a high bill for so little work, another solicitor advised me that in his opinion this bill was extreme.
While I understand the need for solicitors to charge for their time, the overall bill seemed excessive given the limited amount of actual work done. I applied for and supplied my own medical notes saving the solicitor time in requesting the notes. If you are considering engaging with Peter Bowles Solicitors, I strongly recommend that you thoroughly understand their charging system to avoid any surprises.
I am extremely disappointed in this company.
