In Salisbury, England, a “firm of solicitors is offering hairdressers cash to refer customers who reveal that they have marital problems. But one hairdresser has criticised the idea as unethical and refuses to help.” The law firm of Trethowans says there is nothing in violation of Law Society rules in its offer of £75 to salon stylists who steer distraught spouses its way, the fee “payable when the courts grant a decree nisi or upon the agreement of a separation deed.” The law firm’s director describes the payments as “just a different sort of advertising” and says he has heard of firms in other geographic areas doing the same thing. (The Times (U.K.), Sept. 1). Alex Wade comments (“‘Short back and sides? How’s your marriage, by the way?'”, The Times (U.K.), Sept. 15).
U.K.: “Hair salons offered a cut of solicitors’ fees”
In Salisbury, England, a “firm of solicitors is offering hairdressers cash to refer customers who reveal that they have marital problems. But one hairdresser has criticised the idea as unethical and refuses to help.” The law firm of Trethowans says there is nothing in violation of Law Society rules in its offer of £75 to […]
3 Comments
Does this scheme really give hairdressers a financial incentive to breakup marriages? They only get paid for folks who do divorce not just for leads. That does seem a bit unethical.
A hairdresser’s client complains about her hubby, the sort of thing that happens all the time and that means nothing. And yet this scheme pays that hairdresser to push the woman into divorcing her husband.
What next? Hiring good-looking young guys to woe rich women, make them unhappy with their marriage and, when she files for a legally costly divorce (dividing up all that money can’t be cheap), then that handsome gigolo gets a large fee for referring. A few months later he moves on to wrecking yet another marriage for yet another fat referral fee.
Do we need further proof that some lawyers will do absolutely anything for money?
–Mike Perry, Seattle
Nice to know that the ethical issue of lawyers engaged in advertisment is perfectly settled enough that these lawyers are willing to engage in a sketchy, ethically questionable form of advertisement.