We get a lot of requests for information or advice on NL. This one was special.
From Mike M[…]
Email xxxx@cardiff.gov.uk
Message
intentionally homeless for abandoning suitable accommodation, looking for caselaw on this subject
From: Nearly Legal
Sent: 30 May 2013 16:55
To: Mike M[…]
Subject: Re: A comment from Mike M
Well, the blog is there to search. Anything more is what we get paid for.
NL
From: “Mike M[…]”
xxxx@cardiff.gov.uk
Date: 31 May 2013 07:54
Subject: RE: A comment from Mike M[…]
To: “Nearly Legal”
Thanks for your reply, but it was not helpful, I understand there is a blog, but I do not have the time to search, when you guys have set up the site and must be all knowing on such matters would suggest a few case law’s on my request.
Not helpful and very unprofessional of you
Kind regards
M. M[…]
Homeless Assessment Team
Xxxx@cardiff.gov.uk
Out of a possibly misplaced sense of mercy, I have redacted his email address. However, for such a remarkable display of entitlement, onto the step goes Mr M[…].
[Update. Mr M[…] is annoyed with me.
From NL
To Mike M[…]
Dear Mr M[…]
In order to remind myself of the need to be professional at all times in immediately doing unpaid work for someone who can’t be bothered to do it themselves, even though it is their job (and they have a Council legal department if they are stuck), I have put a note on the blog.
Regards
NL
From Mike M[…]
To: NL
Dear NL,
Again your tone is very derogatory, I guess your website is not helpful, so why bother setting it up in the first place, I though it was about sharing information and helping each other in such matters.
It is not about not bothering to search, it was trying to get answers as quickly as possible to help applicants in their homeless approaches. I also do volunteering for two separate organisations and I am always professional. Council legal departments are not always the best people to ask when you have experts in such fields that can help.
I shall not be using your site and will instruct others to go to other more professional sites, as it is clear that you are not.
Thankyou for your time spent on being unprofessional when you could have spent the time dealing with the request
Kind regards
M. M[…]
Mr M. [M…]
Homeless Assessment Team
I fear Mr M[…] really doesn’t get it. Also poor Cardiff Legal Services! I’m sure they are actually wonderful. And expert.
Perhaps I should take this chance to make clear something that we hoped would have been blindingly obvious. Mr M[…]’s first contact was via the contact form on our About page. On that page it says:
The purpose of this blog is to provide information and discussion. Nothing on this blog should be relied upon as a substitute for legal advice from a qualified solicitor regarding any actual legal issue or dispute. Nothing on this website should be construed as legal advice or perceived as creating a barrister/solicitor-client relationship. Please note that we cannot give advice on individual’s situation or problems on this blog.
There are many good reasons for this, including lack of insurance for advising via the blog, lack of confirmation of client ID, not seeing documents and so forth. But there is also the question of time and effort being demanded for free. Every contributor to the blog is busy. and does this in what remains of their own time. We are delighted if it is of use to people. But if we were to take up giving free advice and assistance via the blog, we would end up doing nothing else. Frankly, I prefer to be able to eat.
The kind of advice we are asked for, not least by Mr M[…], is the kind of thing we get paid to do, one way or another, what with being professionals and all. The contributors to the blog are happy to help people with legal issues, it is what we do all day (and frequently evenings) but we do so on proper terms of engagement and, somehow (via legal aid, Conditional fee agreement, private etc.), for fees. ]
[Update 2. OK, I promise to stop this now, honestly I do. But I have to include this last shot from Mr M[…] in which I am accused of lèse-majesté against Cardiff Council, in its incarnation in Mr M.:
Thankyou for your assistance and for putting me on the naughty step in your blog, not professional and not complementary either to myself or Cardiff Council. It just goes to show that you are not a professional person and somewhat immature.
Also, he “will not use this site or ask [me] anything again”. Which seems like a reasonable resolution to me.]