Law Society-v-Karen Stedward Paterson
Interlocutor
Edinburgh 4 November 2015. The Tribunal having considered the Complaint at the instance of the Council of the Law Society of Scotland against Karen Stedward Paterson, Brown & McRae, Anderson House, 9-11 Firthside Street, Fraserburgh; Find the Respondent guilty of professional misconduct in respect that the Respondent; 1) Acted in a way that called into question her personal integrity 2) Gave advice which was not free from external influence 3) Accepted improper instructions to draft a Will for execution by someone not her client 4) Failed to act in a manner consistent with mutual trust and confidence by accepting improper instructions to draft a Will in the knowledge that other agents had acted very recently in other matters and in all probability continued to act and 5) Enabled the signing of a Will drafted by her while she took no steps to advise the testator either of the legal consequences of signing the Will or that the testator should seek independent legal advice before signing: Censure the Respondent; Find the Respondent liable in the expenses of the Complainers and of the Tribunal including expenses of the Clerk, chargeable on a time and line basis as the same may be taxed by the Auditor of the Court of Session on an agent and client, client paying basis in terms of Chapter Three of the last published Law Society’s Table of Fees for general business with a unit rate of £14.00; and Direct that publicity will be given to this decision and that this publicity should include the name of the Respondent and may but has no need to include the names of anyone other than the Respondent.
Alistair Cockburn
Chairman