ARKOUDALEGAL
A Cost Effective Legal Consultancy
Specializing in: Family, Criminal, Spanish Law & Civil Litigation
OUR AIM
We aim to provide a cost effective alternative to high solicitors' fees.
We primarily operate a Family Law Consultancy and Legal Spanish translation/interpretation. Our other legal specialties include Civil Litigation and Criminal Law.
Our aim is mitigation and arbitration, not litigation. Nonetheless, in the event that matters proceed to court, we are able to manage proceedings.
The initial enquiry is of course free of charge.
OUR CONSULTING SERVICES
We provide the most practical and cost-effective solutions in family law.
Where possible, we seek to work for all parties concerned in order to circumvent the problematical adversarial system.
Spanish Law
We provide translation and interpretation of Spanish legal documents. Philip Jones studied and worked in Spanish law for several years.
We are a cost effective solution to Spanish legal problems, having contacts in Spanish Law in Spain and England.
Civil Litigation
With a plethora of experience of civil litigation, we seek to resolve issues instead of taking them to court.
We have never lost a case.
Criminal Law
We provide advice on all matters pertaining to criminal proceedings.
We have discovered that many people suffer injustice through incompetent lawyers and seek to rectify this unfortunate situation.
FAMILY LAW CASE STUDIES
Jones v Jones 2002
A solicitor gave the husband an estimate of £2,000 to £4,500 "if the matter goes to court". There were no children involved. 13 long months later a bias and perverse judgement left the husband in debt, with a legal bill of over £98,000 and his former wife with a large house in central London. The husband became destitute. Two years later the SRA stated words to the effect "The Solicitors have done nothing wrong and have not overcharged you." The SRA then offered a pitiful £5,000 in compensation. The husband went on to successfully sue his own lawyers but it took 4 and a half years.
Piglowska v Piglowski 1999
The hard working Polish couple involved had divisible assets of just over £112,000, a lot of money in 1999. Their legal bill for their divorce, which clearly involved the division of those assets, left them in debt to both sets of lawyers with a combined legal bill of £113,600. The Judge only implied that something had gone awry. Exhaustive fees such as these are not uncommon today.
Pettkus v Becker 1980
After a long and protracted legal battle, Rosa Becker was awarded her original demand of 50% of the successful honey producing farm that she and her former partner had bought and developed over more than 20 years; they had no children. When Rosa had paid her lawyers she was left with nothing.
In her suicide note she blamed the Lawyers for her ruination. This is not the only suicide as a consequence of unscrupulous lawyers.
These are good examples of how the outdated adversarial system of Family Law in England causes untold harm and misery when there is no need for such hardship. Arkouda Legal exists because too many people suffer at the hands of unscrupulous lawyers in England.
Anonymous 2000
A divorced husband met a lawyer at a party. The lawyer said that he could get a better deal and restarted divorce proceedings against the former wife. She went to her lawyer and told her that her 13 year old daughter had committed suicide because she could not face further protracted arguments over the divorce. Her lawyer dealt with the case and then stopped practising law because she could no longer be involved in what she believed to be a corrupt system. The problem is exacerbated because it is practically impossible to report on individual cases in Family Law due to reasons of privacy. This means that the system remains unaccountable.
Anonymous 2022
A young woman approached Philip a year ago and asked for some legal advice on Family Law. Philip also spoke to her husband briefly; neither of them had a lot of money. They had already agreed on terms of settlement. Philip told them he could finalise the divorce at a low cost and quickly. He told them that if they employed him, they would be able to keep their house as a future investment. He told them that if lawyers were involved, they could cause a lot of problems. Unfortunately, her husband and herself insisted on employing solicitors. She has subsequently been threatened with court injunctions and has not seen her children for six months. They are losing the family home and are both left with exorbitant legal fees.
TESTIMONIALS
PRICING
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Primary consultation is free of charge.
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Thereafter a quotation will be provided or a fee will be calculated dependent upon the case.
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Pro-bono concessions are available dependant on circumstances.
A former city broker, Philip Jones left the rat race in the late ’90s. He has a degree in Spanish and a degree in English Law with Spanish Law and has also completed the Legal Practice Course in England. With over twenty years practice in Family Law and a plethora of experience in Civil Litigation, Criminal Law, and Spanish Law, most of his consultancy work is of a charitable nature. He has worked in London, Spain, and California and is currently doing legal work in support of the impoverished in Peru.
Philip Jones spends his spare time writing, inter alia, about his adventures in South America. He has published six books thus far, to find out more click the link below.
