Lawyers is requesting fees but no outline of fees was ever given in writing.

[Theodecorum]

A lawyer I had been in email contact with but decided not to use has now sent me an invoice for fees. I had asked in possibly two or three emails what his likely fees would be with the question being ignored. I also quiet clearly stated I would not be using him and would not like him to attend court to which he didn't reply. I have all the email correspondence as proof. Slightly confused as to what to do?

[bednobs]

did he do any work for you at all?

[woofgang]

What else did you ask him in the emails?

[tonywiltshire]

You should be able to obtain an estimate of fees and other costs from a solicitor together with a cost/benefit analysis particularly in pursuing a debt claim from what may be a man of straw, before he/she does any work for you. If he/she has carried out no work on your instructions there should be no account submitted to you, write to the practice and ask for a breakdown. When/If you exhaust all possibilities to resolve the matter with the practice then contact the legal services ombudsman 0300 555 0333

[Theodecorum]

In reply to bednobs' answer - The lawyer obtained my prosecution file from the prosecutor's office. That was it. In all correspondence, I did not instruct them to do anything. Surely the lawyer needs my file to give an estimation of costs before they can proceed with anything. I also asked for likely costs/scale of fees for his work before he obtained my file, to which there was no mention of fees.

In reply to woofgang's answer - I asked him what exactly the charges against me were and what would be the likely costs/scale of fees for his work. He then proposed I meet him the evening before the court date to have a meeting/discuss the case, to which he outlined fees for the meeting and his time in court. He outlined in the email, in bold writing, if I agree to this and would like him to attend court. I declined and thanked him in an email and that was the last time I heard from him.

[themas]

I don't know how things work between solicitors and prosecutors, but I would be very surprised (& concerned) if prosecutors gave out files to solicitors without the authority of the person whose file it is. Did you give approval for the solicitor to get the file? If so, I think he is probably justified in making a charge for what he did in (presumably) studying the file & letting you know the cost if he acted for you.

However, if you are not happy complain as tony suggests.