A family law solicitor who used a private detective to find a litigant’s address and then passed it to his client has been fined £17,500 by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and ordered to pay costs of £15,000.
The tribunal found that sole practitioner Clive Wood obtained, and passed on, the litigant in person’s contact details against their wishes, and when the litigant was entitled to keep them private unless instructed by a court.
Wood denied both allegations, telling the tribunal that he had used an investigator “at the specific instructions” of his client.
Tribunal chair Alison Kellett said Wood “did not appreciate the seriousness” of his conduct, and that the tribunal saw “no remorse or insight” from him. She said: “This was a straightforward case in which the respondent has fundamentally misjudged the situation.”
The misjudgments cited by the tribunal included Wood’s assessment of his client and the fact that he did not consider the litigant vulnerable, despite there being “adequate and sufficient information…to make clear [the litigant] did not want to give her address”.
The chair said Wood knew or ought to have known the litigant would not have consented to their details being obtained in such a way.
Wood told the tribunal: “I made the misjudgments honestly. I have to query whether I will be able to continue taking on this type of work if my judgment is so poor.
“Although you said I have not shown any insight or remorse, I inwardly feel I have learnt from this experience of the last three years while I have been under this investigation.
“I am incredibly sorry. I wish I could have my time again and apply insight to the circumstances.”
