Solicitor struck off for lying to his client - The Worcester Observer

Solicitor struck off for lying to his client

Worcester Editorial 13th Jan, 2016 Updated: 19th Oct, 2016   0

A COUNTY solicitor has been struck off after repeatedly lying to a client about his case involving a land dispute.

Adrian Harling was also ordered to pay £2,973.50 in costs following a solicitor’s disciplinary tribunal in London.

The 54-year-old, a partner at Kidderminster-based Painters Solicitors, admitted acting ‘dishonestly’ by making ‘untrue and misleading statements’ to his client who was involved in a dispute with a neighbour over a boundary.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority tribunal heard how Mr Harling, who is also chairman of the Worcester Wanderers at Worcester Rugby Club, sent a series of misleading e-mails in a ‘sustained and developing deception’.




Between January 18 ,2012 and April 15, 2013, Mr Harling engaged in an e-mail exchanges with his client, Mr B, over a court date to resolve the dispute.

Mr Harling told Mr B the case had been heard and listed for a further hearing, however no such hearing had taken place and the case hadn’t been listed.


During the 15 month exchange, Mr Harling repeatedly stated he had missed calls from listings regarding a date.

However, Mr B contacted with Kidderminster County Court and Worcester County Court and had spoken to listings himself to discover the case was not listed and had not been listed in either May or December 2012 either.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority became involved and a hearing took place on October 29 last year.

The tribunal heard that Mr Harling had ‘real concerns’ about the case and that proceedings in relation to neighbour disputes were never encouraged.

“I accept wholeheartedly that I have breached my professional obligations to act with integrity; act in the best interests of each client; to provide a proper standard of service to my clients and to behave in a way that maintains the trust the public places in us and in the provision of legal services,” he said.

Mr Harling, a solicitor for 28 years, had an ‘unblemished record’ the tribunal was told and had written to the client in October 2008 advising him of the difficulties with these type of cases.

He also said there had been an assault between the two parties in the dispute during which police were called.

Mr Harling had previously written to the neighbours of his client urging mediation but by this stage they had already instructed solicitors.

The tribunal heard how he had also been worried about the financial implications for his client and claimed to be acting in his interests, a view rejected by the tribunal which said the delay ‘could have weakened the client’s position’.

The tribunal judgement read: “The respondent should have frankly informed the client about his prospects of success rather than use a web of deception to avoid litigation.”

The partners at Painters have together appointed a locum, litigation solicitor Steve Donkin, to cover the firm’s litigation clients’ work which had been carried out by Mr Harling.

Richard Painter, speaking on behalf of the firm, said: “The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) found Adrian Harling’s professional compliance in the management of one isolated client matter over the period 2011-2015 to be inadequate and as a result he has been struck off as a solicitor, following a disciplinary hearing.

“The partners here at Painters have been liaising closely with all our staff and clients to keep everyone advised.”

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