File a Legal Complaint? Get Free Advice!

Questioner

I have filed the following complaints with my lawyer and would like to know what a specialist thinks about this and whether it makes sense to forward the complaint to the disputes committee or dean. Apologies for the long text. The increase in the amount has already been withdrawn by the lawyer in question, but I do not think that is sufficient. In anticipation of submitting my complaints about your working methods and billing method, I must inform you of my complaints in accordance with the regulations of the complaints committee. Below is a list, in chronological order as much as possible: 1. At the beginning of the intake interview I asked about the possibility of legal aid. I indicated that I was not sure whether I would qualify for this. I told you that my taxable income was negative due to deductions as a starting entrepreneur last year. Today I spoke to my accountant about it, who told me that I would most certainly qualify. In my opinion, you did not respond sufficiently to this and did not inform me sufficiently, for example about the income limit to qualify for legal aid, which has been set at 25,000 euros. 2. During the intake interview you indicated that you would immediately contact the relevant embassy by telephone. You indicated that a direct approach often works well. This was decisive for me to give you the assignment and to make the payments immediately in the amount of 809.84 euros including VAT. The next morning you changed your mind. You now state that, in accordance with the advice of the embassy, ​​I should first submit an official application for the visa via Global VFS. Already in my second message to you, via the contact form on your website, it can be read that I have no confidence in Global VFS. I can say this with certainty because as a board member of the Foreign Partner Foundation I have come across many complaints about VFS Global. I also know experiences from my personal circle of friends. For example, I gave you the example of a friend who unsuccessfully appealed to Directive 2004/38 EC at the counter of VFS Global, with an employee from Guinea (Conakry) hired by VFS Global. As it turned out, even the Dutch embassy staff is not aware of art. 56 EU Treaty (free movement of goods, services and capital) which is rarely invoked in this context. It is precisely the reason why I asked the embassy for help because otherwise we would certainly be rejected by local VFS Global staff. I paid you to act quickly and not to submit a pointless, time-consuming and expensive application via VFS Global. I hold this change of tactics against you seriously because you are now asking me to do exactly what I wanted to avoid. In addition, you failed to inform me about the Visa Code, which does indeed state that a direct application via the embassy is still possible and even has shorter waiting times. This is where a large part of the case revolves. For the sake of completeness, you called after my insistence, but without being able to speak to the relevant consular staff. 3. In your email Order confirmation and invoice you write a short report about what was discussed during the intake. There are two errors in it right away, namely that my wife is supposed to be Ghanaian while she has Guinean nationality. A fact that can cause serious confusion during a possible contact with the embassy. Then you write that we see each other regularly in Ghana while this should of course be Gambia and I wonder how well you listened and read the available information. You may have also included my email and phone call for correction in your time registration. 4. The next morning during a telephone conversation you indicate that the hours I had already paid for had been used up. After my insistence you did call the embassy but without any result. So I paid 809.84 for which you only read the e-mails from me to the embassy, ​​a few phone calls and e-mails back and forth between us and an attempt I insisted on calling the embassy. I have to pay again for an objection or response to the embassy written in legal jargon for which I needed you. In your e-mail Order confirmation and invoice [D170035-3180649] you write however: I expect that I will need at least 2 hours for the further preparation and correspondence about this with you and the embassy. 5. You continue to bill time for emails after I informed you by email on August 9 at 00:15 that I no longer wish to use your services. The emails therefore relate to our difference of opinion about your billing and its relation to your performance. 6. You are not keeping your agreement regarding your declarations. We agreed that you would warn me if there were any new costs! I have not given you permission or instructions for this either verbally or in writing. I find this shocking. You have seriously damaged my trust while I am already in a vulnerable position. Despite the fact that I have indicated several times that I am open to compensation from you, you have decided to send a final bill that is even higher than we agreed. I do not dare to call you and actually not even to email you, since your invoices apparently continue after I have cancelled your services. However, because the procedure of the disputes committee requires this, I am sending you this last email. For the sake of completeness, I will send this letter to you by registered mail. Kind regards,

Lawyer

Considering your story, I would definitely continue with the complaints procedure! The lawyer may not charge you any costs for the complaints procedure, via the complaints officer of his office. If the complaints procedure does not yield any results, you can then complain to the Dean/Disciplinary Board. Finally, I advise you to hire an expert asylum and alien law attorney for the procedure regarding your spouse. An expert attorney is affiliated with a specialist association and will also mention this on his website.

Questioner

Good morning, thank you for this confirmation. This is a renowned lawyer for immigration law and EU law. Now that I have lost 809.84 from the intake at 15:00 in the afternoon until approximately 11:00 the next morning for a few derivative activities that were not necessary, I do not dare to look for a lawyer at all. I was hoping for an affirmative answer like you are now giving. This strengthens my belief that my damaged trust is justified. Thank you.

Lawyer

you can conduct a complaints procedure yourself. given the amount of the sum, I do not think it is wise to hire a lawyer for that procedure. Renowned lawyer -> perhaps professionally skilled, but in terms of human and behavioral law a fool who would rather be lazy than tired.

Questioner

The lawyer responds, he says: Incidentally, a grant is issued in a procedure and this concerns advice/guidance when submitting an application, for which no grant is issued in any case. Does an addition not apply to the entire process? Kind regards, http://tuchtrecht.overheid.nl/nieuw/ advocaten/uitspraak/2017/ECLI_NL_TADRAMS_2017_180

Lawyer

Advice -> yes addition application -> no addition, unless complicated and procedure can be anticipated. Furthermore, the lawyer must expressly communicate in advance that he will not request legal aid and will send you an invoice. You must expressly agree to this.