PEI lawyers showing early signs of desperation and starvation
Desperate Housewives, we assumed you'd rather this than some scuzzy suit
Fattened on the spoils of the Provincial Nominee Program some are desperate now the tap is turned off
Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, July 23, 2009
A young couple received a call from their lawyer on a house closing. “Bring your wife down for 3:30 pm and we’ll sign the deed,” said their lawyer.
The both took time off work, excitedly made the appointment, were ushered into the lawyers office. A file was opened. The deed was presented, explained and signed.
The lawyer carefully put the signed papers back in the file, put an elastic around the file and said “When you pay my bill, I’ll be able to give you your deed.”
There you have it. Instead of saying on the phone “I need to get paid in the advance” the lawyer took two people from their jobs, set their hearts aflutter only to show legal avarice.
The recession has hit PEI’s lawyers, or some of them, as they scramble to collect fees in advance, for work not done and immediately on presentation of bills.
Desperate times call for desperate deeds from fat cat lawyers who enriched themselves last year on tens of millions of dollars in easy income from setting up bogus Provincial Nominee Program companies and investments.
Those days of wine and roses are gone, the money spent on luxury cars, homes and vacations. But greed must be fed and expensive hobbies oiled. So inflated fees and demand for money are the order of the day.
Clients are being pushed by greed and fear. Lawyers have high expectations of living in posh neighborhoods while the fees from poor Islanders will hardly support the current flock of legal eagles.
A word to the wise: fees are negotiable. Get two or three quotes. We’ve seen reductions in 1/3rd for property transactions. Even the large firms are competing.
If your legal fees seem too high, offer to have them taxed or reviewed by provincial authorities. On PEI that happens at the Prothonotary’s office. It can shave 25% to 40% off your fees, although your lawyer will take a dim view of it.
It’s your money.
Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons License - NJN Network Inc.
One Response to 'PEI lawyers showing early signs of desperation and starvation'
The real savings could be had by businesses that were scammed on legal and accounting fees when they received PNP MOney.
I wonder how many businesses who are struggling today even though they received PNP are looking back over the over inflated legal bills they had to pay from their PNP Money. I would wonder what a business owner is thinking today who paid upwards and in some cases more than $10 Grand in legal fees in order to get his PNP Money that is now long gone.
With the Chinese Government and the Immigrants themselves now realizing they were scammed just how many of these business owners maybe starting to worry and are wondering where the alwyers will be when the sh.t hits the fan.
justin
23 Jul 09 at 11:41 am