Blackstone Law: Where Email Delivery Rivals National Debt
Submitted by AFV
An experience with Blackstone Law Company raises serious concerns about billing practices and client communication. I requested a straightforward service of sending pre-prepared documentation via email with legal oversight. All documentation was clearly and accurately prepared. Blackstone’s task required no research nor document preparation, yet the action of sending the email resulted in charges exceeding $5,000.
Despite initially paying $1,956.33, I received no receipt until specifically requesting this, 14 days later. My attempts to further understand where I stood in relation to the remaining balance of the invoice/email, were met with silence. Subsequent requests to Blackstone to rescind my status as a client and for confirmation of my data removal went unanswered.
This experience highlights troubling practices within Barbados’ legal landscape, where professional services can seem to exploit client needs through disproportionate fees and deliberate poor communication. While some attorneys have faced accountability, the broader issue of excessive billing and unresponsive client service appears to persist.
Significantly, the lack of transparency and professional courtesy falls short of expected standards for legal services in Barbados. Such practices undermine public trust in legal institutions and call for stronger oversight of billing processes and client communication standards. This issue is particularly concerning since Barbados is a society that highly prides itself on strong Christian values. While the Good Shepherd tends his flock, some legal shepherds appear more interested in fleecing theirs.
It is not surprising that “Christ” in the Christian ethos, is very much absent from Blackstone’s actions. However, such conduct further demonstrates a clear departure from not only professional but Christian principles. The disparity between “proclaimed” societal values and actual business practices is striking, especially in professional services that should embody fair dealing.
Finally, Blackstone’s actions are a case of “heavenly billing” where sending emails costs more than “feeding the five thousand.” It could even become a prayer of “praise the Lord and pass the Invoice,” or perhaps it can more aptly become a Barbados legal precedent of: “When Christian Values Bow to Exorbitant Legal Fees: A $5000 Email Blessing.”
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.