PRICE, SERVICE AND COMPLIANTS INFORMATION
Transparency Obligations
The Firm does not, as part of its usual business, provide services to individuals to which the SRA Transparency Rules (“SRATR”) apply.
The Firm does provide services to businesses which include:
Advice to, and representation of, employers in relation to defending claims before an Employment tribunal, and
Debt recovery up to the value of £100,000, which is covered by SRATR.
Where we do provide this service, the basis on which we act and charge is as follows:
The total cost depends on the nature of the matter, and, especially, the existence and nature of any counter-claim. Straightforward matter costs may be in the order of £1,000, but more complex claims could incur fees of £3,000 to £5,000, and, in very complex matters, considerably more. The basis will be set out in the individual terms of engagement.
The general basis of our charges is the hourly rate of those working on a matter, but, in cases where the issues are relatively clear, we may offer to act for a fixed fee, provided that the matter does not change significantly, or the aims of the client change. The hourly rate for a paralegal is £200 per hour and senior paralegal/trainee is £250 per hour, while that for a solicitor will vary depending upon the nature of the case and the seniority of the lawyer, but will be between £300 and £550 per hour.
This work is likely to be done by paralegal staff, or qualified overseas lawyers, under the direct supervision, for all matters, of fully-qualified solicitors.
Disbursements are likely to include Court Fees, which for such debt matters, will depend on the claim and the Court in which proceedings are instituted. Depending on the complexity of the matter and court selected, Counsel may need to be instructed, with your prior agreement. and Counsel’s fees, if required.
All figures set out in this section are exclusive of applicable VAT. The cost will depend upon the complexity of the claim in question.
Services provided are those expected of solicitors. We do not advise on insurance contracts, other than to advise of the availability and suitability generic cover, in the context of litigation. We do not advise on commercial risk and benefits, other than as to whether costs are disproportionate to the matter in question. We will analyse the nature of the claim, possible counterclaims, and the best course forward to recover amounts claimed. The timetable depends upon whether Court proceedings are needed. This, in turn, depends upon the Court timetables, which can vary greatly. Taking a matter to a Hearing and obtaining Judgment can take between 3 months and 48 months.
The Firm does not enter into conditional fee agreements, or damages based agreements.
Our Complaints Procedure
We want to give you the best possible service.
However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service we have provided then you should inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.
In the first instance, it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues at this stage. If you would like to make a formal complaint, please follow our complaints process below.
Whilst every effort will be made to ensure that your matters will be conducted to a proper professional standard if, for any reason you are discontented with any aspect of the firm’s service or about the amount of any invoice, you should contact Dr Julian Critchlow or Arianne King. We shall endeavour to resolve any complaints internally.
If your complaint relates to the amount of any invoice you may also be entitled to apply to the court for an assessment of the invoice, as explained in the Terms of Business, within one month of the delivery of the invoice or of your being notified of your rights in this respect.
If you are not satisfied with our handling of your complaint and are an individual or represent a small enterprise, charity, club, association, organisation or trust, you may be entitled to refer the matter to the Legal Ombudsman, whose contact details are shown in our Price, Service and Complaints Information. The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within a year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within a year of you realising there was a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint.
Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic. You can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint
The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves.
They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case.
Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first.
If you have, you can then take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman if you wish:
Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint; and
Within a year from the date of the act/omission; or
Within a year from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them.
Contact details
Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm.
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH