A solicitor has been suspended for a year after editing an email address in correspondence with a client. Michael Goodwin, who practised with Midlands firm Talbots Law, had been qualified for less than two years when he acted in a ‘moment of panic’ and made the amendment.
Goodwin accepted that he had provided misleading information but was able to show exceptional circumstances to escape being being struck off. He agreed with the Solicitors Regulation Authority to be suspended for 12 months and the sanction was rubber-stamped by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal in June.
The tribunal heard that Goodwin had attempted to contact a residential property client in 2023 but had used an incorrect email address which was on the firm’s case management system. When he forwarded her the email the following day, this time to the correct address, he altered the original to make it look as if it had been sent to the correct address previously. He added to the email ‘I understand you’ve not received the attached’.
At an internal meeting held three months later, Goodwin admitted what he had done and that he knew it was wrong. He resigned shortly after and self-reported to the SRA.
In non-agreed mitigation, Goodwin set out how he had been under considerable emotional strain at the time of the incident, and the high pressure environment of the sector was not conducive to his wellbeing. Several details about his condition were redacted from the tribunal’s ruling.
The SRA accepted that Goodwin acted deliberately but in panic and haste. This was not planned but a spontaneous reaction to an error and no harm was caused to the client. Goodwin had fully co-operated with the investigation, shown insight and remorse and made open and frank admissions.
The nature, scope and extent of the dishonesty was limited to one part of one email, taking a matter of seconds, and the message written to the client was not misleading. The tribunal accepted this was a ‘brief, isolated incident rather than a prolonged or sustained act’.
Goodwin, 40, agreed to contribute to the SRA’s £12,500 costs.
