Why Accountancy Still Isn't Boring!
I had a phone call this morning from a client for whom I'd recently completed an earnings declaration for the Child Support Agency. He thanked me for doing it before adding "I'd better warn you the girl's mother is instructing her solicitor to report you to the ICAEW (Chartered Accountants governing body) for the declaration of false information.
Well, I guess The Mamas and Papas weren't thinking of a 46 year old, bald accountant when they sang "Monday morning, so good to me."
"I know you didn't," he went on, "but she's got it in your head that you weren't being honest."
The client in question is mid thirties who until around about June this year didn't have any children, then in the space of a fortnight he 'acquired' three. Firstly a daughter, who was the result of his current relationship, then he found out that he had a three year old daughter by a previous relationship, just as it seemed July would pass relatively additional child-free he received a phone call from a fifteen year old who claimed she was his daughter.
As he put it to me, "I haven't got the mental age of a fifteen year old, let alone being the Dad of one!"
Anyway the CSA form was for the three year old, which I duly completed and sent off to Newcastle. The child's grandmother is now saying the information was lies hence the prospect of an enquiry.
Now this is where it gets interesting and a bit like watching a film where you as the viewer can see all the action but the characters can't.
My client is currently paying the child's mother, without the need to resort to law, ten times the amount he is required to by the CSA, he is actually paying £100 per week rather than the £9.69 has been calculated he has to, but the mother hasn't informed the CSA of this fact. My client has all the paperwork to support the payments because being a bit shrewd he decided to pay her weekly by BACS, so there is a clear paper trail.
I don't deny the mother's or the grandmother's right to complain, nor do I dispute their right to child support but this is a classic case of a liar accusing somebody else of lying in the hope they can win, when all it really takes is for the two parties to sit down in the presence of a solicitor and draw up a legal document.
7 comments:
Sad, isn't it? Interesting but sad at the same time.
I wonder how many court cases could be avoided if the protagonists sought arbitration and mediation rather than confrontation.
The way some people behave, ie the girl's relations lieing through their teeth, never ceases to amaze me.
Paul, have written answers in 2 messages on my bloglet, Rupe
Paul, you are inspiring me to write about the great and the not so good that I had the misfortune to deal with both in my role as a gamekeeper and as a poacher. The only trouble is I think the Official Secrets Act still applies even though I left the Revenue ten years ago and client confidentiality applies to the others. Having said that, the juiciest stories come from a practice in London for whom I signed nothing, so perhaps I could get away with it?
What the hell a small boring taster, Holly, lead singer of a group whose single was banned by the BBC, loved his Clio. A whole 20 minutes I had to listen to him extolling the virtues of that car. Booooriing. I thought to myself, I cannot believe that this guy was supposed to be so outrageous.
What exactly does she stand to gain from this greedy course of action. The dollar signs in the eyes always tend to make people blind to reality.
Thanks for all the comments.
I agree with Shy, Curmy and Six - the sad thing is that my client would have paid her even more but now his attitude is sod it - which is sad for the innocent party involved (the baby).
Mags that made me laugh out loud reminds me of the singer whose real name is Stuart and had several number ones - one of the vids featured Diana Dors - insisted his lawyer (my ex-bosses brother) wore denim and an earing in his presence.
Would you two stop it with the celebrity client not-quite-name-dropping!
Post a Comment