JONES, Patricia Mary

 

Date

7 December 2006

 

Charge

The charge against Patricia Mary Jones of Stoke on Trent was that she failed to conduct herself in a manner as to avoid bringing disrepute upon ILEX or its members and to avoid doubt being case upon her professional intergrity contrary to Section 1(1) and (2) of the Code of Conduct of the Institute of Legal Executives.

 

The particulars to the charge were:

 

An order was made against Patricia Jones under section 43 Solicitors Act 1974 that no solicitor shall, except in accordance with permission in writing granted by the Law Society for such a period and subject to such conditions as the Society may think fit to specify in the permission, employ or remunerate with their practice as a solicitor Patricia Jones.

 

Patricia Jones allowed the vendors to make revisions to a transfer deed after completion had taken place in a transaction where she was acting for the purchasers.

 

Patricia Jones signed a revised transfer deed in the name of her client and directed her colleague to sign the deed in the name of the joint client whereas she had no authority to do so and in any event should have obtained the signatures of her clients.

 

Upon an enquiry made by her employer Patricia Jones misled her employer by stating that her clients had signed the transfer deed whereas she and her colleague had signed the deed.  Patricia Jones failed to correct the misunderstanding once she recalled the true situation.

 

Outcome    

The charge was found proved.

 

Penalty

Mrs Jones was excluded from membership of ILEX for a minimum period of 2 years.