'Solicitors from Hell' is no more

After a long and acrimonious battle, both in and out of court, the High Court has ordered the publisher of the 'Solicitors from Hell' website, Rick Kordowski, to remove entirely the site from the Internet.

The ruling follows a Law Society court action to secure an injunction against the site to protect its members and the public, as the site "was not a credible source of reliable information about solicitors". The society reports that Kordowski has been sued for libel on at least 17 occasions and over £170,000 in outstanding judgments and orders have accrued against him.

Law Society Chief Executive Desmond Hudson commented: "This website has served simply as a vehicle for pursuing personal grudges and vendettas against conscientious and reputable firms and legal professionals. Far from being of any help to consumers, it has been a danger. Some excellent firms have been listed on the website, and exclusion from the site has more often than not been a matter of whether a firm has been prepared to pay a fee to have the listing removed. I feared the website was directing people in real need of help away from professionals best placed to assist them."

The society advises consumers who have complaints about their solicitors to contact the Legal Ombudsman.