Faversham practice Newfield & Co has run into trouble with the Law Society after a Welsh company was sent a reminder for payment from the firm which opened with the words: “Dear Taffy Bastard”.
The Office for the Supervision of Solicitors (OSS) has confirmed it has received an official complaint from caravan cleaning company Cara Mobile to which the letter was sent.
A spokeswoman at the OSS said: “The Law Society is taking the complaint very seriously.”
Newfield & Co has admitted it sent the letter, but claims it was written maliciously by a former temporary employee who was not offered a permanent position.
The firm says it believes the employee in question was deliberately seeking to cause it professional embarrassment.
Neil Corke, a solicitor with Newfield & Co, who is himself part Welsh, said that the firm was considering taking action against the former employee.
He said it was “ridiculous” to contemplate that a professional firm would have deliberately sent out the letter.
“The one good thing to come out of all of this is that Cara Mobile finally paid up the amount owed,” he added.
The offending letter had been sent on behalf of Newfield & Co's client, Jennychem, a Rochester-based cleaning fluids company, to chase a debt of £250 owed by Cara Mobile.
Jenny Crouch, of Jennychem, said she would not be using Newfield & Co again.
