Lawyer suspended for inflating his bill

Aug 5, 2008
Lawyer suspended for inflating his bill
By Selina Lum

A FAMILY lawyer was suspended yesterday for overcharging clients, the
second time in three years he has been rapped for inflating his bill.

Mr Low Yong Sen was barred from practising for six months for
charging a married couple thousands of dollars more than the going
rate during a property deal.

A three-judge court, which handed down the punishment, noted that
lawyers who overcharge their clients are normally not suspended.

But such a sentence was called for in this case, said Justice Chao
Hick Tin, as the court found it 'disturbing' that Mr Low has a
history of similar misconduct.

More than two years ago, the sole proprietor who has been practising
for 15 years, was reprimanded by the Law Society for charging too
much in a divorce case he handled for a hawker.

In the latest case, the court heard that he had acted for a married
couple who bought a $723,000 property in late 2005. The couple
complained to the Law Society about gross overcharging after he
billed them a total of $27,990, including $4,300 in expenses.

An independent disciplinary committee decided that the expense bill
was three times more than what would have been fair.

The committee then referred his case to a Court of Three Judges,
which can censure, suspend or strike a lawyer off the rolls.

Representing himself in court yesterday, Mr Low insisted this was not
a case of overcharging.

He said he was a family lawyer who rarely did conveyancing deals and
was 'ignorant'.

But Justice Chao said Mr Low's charges were 'clearly not fair'.