Activity 1: Suleiman

This exercise will help you to identify:

• Factors that give rise to suspicion of poor advice
• Gaps in your knowledge that need to be filled
• Questions you can ask to help fill those gaps
• Advice you can give to address the problem

Suleiman is 19 and Kurdish, from Iraq. He speaks no English. He has just been dispersed to asylum accommodation in your area.

When he arrived last week, he met another Kurdish man outside his accommodation. They got talking about Suleiman's situation. The man told him he needed a solicitor and gave him a card of a solicitor he knew.

Yesterday he went to see the solicitor. They spoke for about half an hour. The solicitor took an up-front payment of £50 and asked him to sign some papers.

Suleiman was happy, until he got talking to another Kurdish man at his accommodation who told him the solicitor is no good.

He now wants to know whether he can change solicitor, and if you think he should.

Think about the professional duties a solicitor has.

1. What events give rise to suspicion in this case?
2. What questions would you ask Suleiman to clarify your understanding of the situation?
3. Assuming your suspicions are confirmed, how would you help Suleiman to understand why he should change solicitors?

You will find activity 1 answers here - no peeking!