Who is Charles Goldthorpe?

On contacting Chiltern Solicitors I received a reply from Charles Goldthorpe. As I had contacted a Solicitors I expected a reply back from a Solicitor. However, Charles Goldthorpe never actually explained what his role was. However, before paying the first down payment of £5000 I thought I should check him out. And I couldn't find anything to show he was a Solicitor. The reason for this is that he isn't a Solicitor, he's a Paralegal. For those that don't know a Paralegal can be anything from some as experienced as a real Solicitor to someone who does photocopying. Also at £175 plus VAT £210 per hour (I need to double check this is plus VAT) this is a very expensive paralegal, in fact this is more comparable with the fee you would pay a fully qualified Solicitor.

Employing a paralegal is a risk, you are not protected by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. However, there are a few organisations that do weakly govern paralegals such as the Institute of Paralegals. However, to the best of my knowledge Charles Goldthorpe was previously a member of the Institute of of Paralegals (IoP) but his membership had lapsed (I need to get the exacts dates on this, I'm awaiting a response to my inquiry from IoP).

I was quite alarmed on finding out he was a Paralegal and raised it as a matter of concern.  However, we were only a few weeks away from the court date and I had no choice but to stick with him.  If I'd have known he was a Paralegal from the start I would never have employed him.  He knows many clients would feel the exact same way that's why he hides this fact.  On initial communication with him he had no role stated within his email signature, he now has consultant.  I feel he is very dishonest in not disclosing this, it effects how you are protected, doesn't give you a clear understanding of his level of legal knowledge, and has a bearing on the fee he charges.

Also, Charles Goldthorpes LinkedIn profile claims the following on previous employment experience "litigator Moon Beever March 1997 – December 1998 (1 year 10 months)Bloomsbury" My understanding is that a 'litigator' is another terms for a Solicitor/Lawyer: http://www.yourhillcountrylawyer.com/what-is-a-litigator/ Again I feel that a serious misrepresentation has taken place. Further, another issue became very apparent from the start. He doesn't appear to be able to construct a document in a succinct manner. This is taken from his LinkedIn profile: "After leaving school i joined williams & Co a local solicitors as a trainee leaving to further my job prospects to join Young & Co before moving to CC Bell & Sons in 1985.my roll was that of a litigation clerk/legal executive dealing with personal injury and family law." As you can see, its extremely sloppy, he must know that i's should be capitalised and that a space comes after a full-stop. His legal documents also have these types of sloppy errors. You want your legal opponent to fear your Solicitor and to think he has an eye for detail and the ability to present your case in the best possible manner. These errors weaken your position before you even start to look at the content.