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Lawyer suspended for inflating his bill |
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Tuesday, 05 August 2008 06:28am |
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 ©The
Sraits Times, Singapore (Used by permission)
by Selina Lum
A FAMILY lawyer was suspended yesterday for overcharging clients, the second
time in three years he has been rapped for inflating his bill.
Mr Low Yong Sen was barred from practising for six months for charging a married
couple thousands of dollars more than the going rate during a property deal.
A three-judge court, which handed down the punishment, noted that lawyers who
overcharge their clients are normally not suspended.
But such a sentence was called for in this case, said Justice Chao Hick Tin, as
the court found it 'disturbing' that Mr Low has a history of similar misconduct.
More than two years ago, the sole proprietor who has been practising for 15
years, was reprimanded by the Law Society for charging too much in a divorce
case he handled for a hawker.
In the latest case, the court heard that he had acted for a married couple who
bought a $723,000 property in late 2005. The couple complained to the Law
Society about gross overcharging after he billed them a total of $27,990,
including $4,300 in expenses.
An independent disciplinary committee decided that the expense bill was three
times more than what would have been fair.
The committee then referred his case to a Court of Three Judges, which can
censure, suspend or strike a lawyer off the rolls.
Representing himself in court yesterday, Mr Low insisted this was not a case of
overcharging.
He said he was a family lawyer who rarely did conveyancing deals and was
'ignorant'.
But Justice Chao said Mr Low's charges were 'clearly not fair'.
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