To: The Law Society of Scotland*

 Petition requesting an investigation into Lindsey tes and Wilsone & Duffus

We, the undersigned, are a group of **53 individuals** who have concerns regarding the professional practice of **Lindsay Fettes of Wilsone & Duffus**.

 

We are asking the Law Society of Scotland to investigate the concerns raised by members of this group and to consider whether there is evidence of a wider and recurring pattern of poor professional practice.

 

The concerns raised by members of the group include:

 

* **Excessive delays** in the administration and finalisation of estates, in some cases extending to **five years or more**.

* **Poor, inadequate or non-existent communication** with beneficiaries and other people entitled to information about estates.

* Long periods during which people receive little or no meaningful update regarding the progress of an estate.

* Difficulty obtaining clear information about what remains to be done before an estate can be concluded.

* A lack of clear or realistic timescales for completion.

* False promises

* Cases in which estates have remained unresolved for such lengthy periods that **beneficiaries involved have died before the estate was finalised**.

 

We recognise that estate administration can be complex and that some estates will inevitably take considerable time to resolve. However, the number of people reporting similar experiences, together with the length of some of the delays, causes us serious concern.

 

**Fifty-three people reporting similar difficulties is not, in our view, something that should simply be treated as a collection of unrelated individual complaints.** We believe the pattern warrants proper scrutiny.

 

We therefore respectfully ask the Law Society of Scotland to:

 

1. **Investigate the conduct and professional practice of Lindsay Fettes especially in relation to estate administration.**

2. Consider whether there is evidence of a **systemic or recurring pattern** in the concerns being raised by members of this group.

3. Examine whether the delays and communication practices reported are consistent with the professional standards expected of solicitors in Scotland.

4. Consider whether appropriate action is required to protect beneficiaries and other members of the public dealing with estates.

5. Advise us whether the Law Society has a mechanism for investigating concerns where **multiple individuals are reporting similar experiences involving the same solicitor or firm**.

 

We are not asking the Law Society to determine the individual merits of each person's estate or to take a position on individual disputes. We are asking for the **underlying pattern of professional conduct and practice to be examined**.

 

The administration of an estate can already be an extremely difficult time for families. Prolonged uncertainty, years of delay and an absence of meaningful communication can place a significant additional burden on those affected.

 

Given the number of people involved and the similarities between the concerns being reported, we believe there is a legitimate public-interest reason for these matters to be investigated. Not to mention the firm being in the news this week also for other issues regarding accounts. 

 

We respectfully request that the Law Society of Scotland acknowledge this petition and advise us what further information or evidence would be required to enable a formal investigation to take place.

 

 

 

Date: _______________________________