Alan Baillie, 66, was ordered to pay Lorraine Ludman in the wake of a case over a land ownership dispute in Argyll.

Earlier this year, the Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal found he had acted in the interests of both Lorraine Ludman and brothers Andrew and Graeme Mcilvride over a land deal.

He made two payments from Ms Ludman to Andrew Mcilvride – without her knowledge – in order to settle two bills.

Ms Ludman paid her then-partner Andrew Mcilvride £140,000 for the land between 2009 and 2015 but never received the deeds. Their relationship ended in 2016. In 2021, Mr Mcilvride was ordered to repay Ms Ludman at Oban Sheriff Court.

During that case, a ledger card revealed two payments made by Mr Baillie from Ms Ludman to Mr Mcilvride, of £1,380, without her knowledge.

Mr Baillie claimed in court he had not represented Ms Ludman. But the SSDT found that his actions had led to Ms Ludman believing they had a client-solicitor relationship. The appropriate sanction was to strike him off.

Another hearing has now taken place to determine any compensation due to Ms Ludman.

A report into the hearing stated: “The tribunal was persuaded by the evidence of the secondary complainer (Ms Ludman) that she had suffered mentally as a result of the respondent’s misconduct. The secondary complainer’s court case against her former partner arose partly as a result of the respondent’s actions and omissions.”

The SSDT awarded Ms Ludman £4,000.