in this video I want to explain why I
don't give advice or answer questions
for free I charge a fee I charge a
consultation fee you must understand
that I am very active on the internet
and on various social media sites and I
have a number of websites business and
legal data a that's my solicitor website
and employment rights Ireland calm which
is the employment related website that I
run I get a huge amount of queries and
questions and from people by email by
phone and so on and so forth and I don't
answer questions or I don't give advice
for free a charge consultation fee and
the reason that I do this there's a
number of reasons firstly if somebody
approaches me in relation to perhaps an
unfair dismissal or a constructive
dismissal case firstly I have to find
out all of the circumstances and the
narrative the story surrounding the
termination of the employment I have to
review the contract of employment after
review any correspondence perhaps emails
perhaps letters has to look at the
outcome of any investigation and perhaps
a disciplinary hearing after look at
perhaps an appeal outcome and so on and
so forth there's a huge amount of
information that potentially I have to
gather and assess and review and give an
advice on now that's the first thing so
it takes time and take some expertise
the second thing is that somebody may
come to me with a potential claim for
for example constructive dismissal or
unfair dismissal or whatever and when I
go through all the documentation on here
their entire story he's actually
apparent to me that that may have a
better chance of a claim for maybe
discrimination or harassment or
something of that nature in addition to
that there may be other claims that they
may be able to bring if they're going to
for example the WRC that's the workplace
relations commission so essentially in
the first instance there's a lot of
informations I have to gather there
of documentation that I might have to
review now the same principle applies to
an inquiry about perhaps property
related transaction or an adverse
possession thing or read personal injury
claim or something to do with education
all of the information has to be looked
at and reviewed and obviously I may have
to do some research done as well but I
am calling on my expertise my experience
and obviously have to spend time reading
and reviewing and looking at the
relevant information I also perhaps have
to speak to the employee or the client
or the person that's asking the question
to get more information to ensure to
have a full picture then if I go ahead
and give it advice or give an answer to
a question or give a consultation and if
the information is wrong or if I give
bad advice then I'm leaving myself open
to be sued for professional negligence
now that's something that comes with the
territory of being a professional I have
insurance for professional negligence I
am a member of the Law Society I am
enrolled on the high court list of the
role of solicitors but for that very
reason if somebody asks me a question or
wants to run something by me and I give
an answer and that answer is wrong even
though I don't get paid it's quite
possible that that person can sue me for
professional negligence so quite frankly
if I run the risk of getting sue then at
the very least I'd be foolish not to be
charging some sort of a fee for my time
and for my expertise so they are the
three main reasons why I don't answer
questions for free I don't give legal
advice for free I don't give
consultations for free because one in
order to advise properly I need to take
some time to review documentation and a
contract or contracts and other
documentation number two there may be
other aspects to the potential claim or
potential case that an expert might be
able to identify
in other words different perhaps other
claims may be able to be brought on your
behalf and that takes a bit of skill and
a bit of expertise and a bit of
experience not indeed a bit of research
and finally there's the question of
getting sued if I'm going to get sued
for professional negligence at the very
least I'd be irrational to have dished
out the advice etc Setser in the four
senses for free so even if you only
think about the consultation fee as a
contribution towards my professional
indemnity insurance or my time or my
expertise or whatever that's why I don't
answer questions for free I don't give
legal advice for free and you may agree
with me or disagree with me but there
you have it it's set out there in the
open and as I say you should not take
offense if you contact me by email or
phone running all the way and you want
to run something past me or discuss
something with me or ask me a simple
question or whatever don't take offense
if I don't reply or give you free legal
advice or answer questions for free
because for the reasons I've set up for
this video hope you find it useful I
hope on at least explains the situation
you might be interested in subscribing
to my youtube channel because I give
away a huge amount of free information
on my youtube channel on my websites
business and legal that ie employment
rights are calm on LinkedIn on Facebook
you name it I give out a huge amount of
free information but when it comes to a
specific query about your particular
circumstances I do insist on charging I
do insist on getting paid for my advice
and you know for the reasons set out in
this video
another reason is simply that I have a
business to run obviously have overheads
of professional indemnity insurance I
rent I have various other costs
associated with the business under
married Anna for kids so obviously I
have to make a livin and I don't expect
anybody to do any work for me for free
they don't expect anyone just go into my
house and put my lawn or wash my child
paint the spare bedroom and likewise I
don't think it's reasonable
or fair to expect me to provide my time
and expertise for free and that's why
essentially unable to answer questions
for free or give advice another aspect
to it is simply I have a paying clients
and the if I spent my time answering
questions for free and taking calls or
emails during the day for example it
would be very very difficult to get
anything done or be anyway productive so
