We believe that as a new firm our success will depend largely on the quality and cost effectiveness of our services and how we measure up to our numerous competitors supplying legal services across the world.
To monitor our performance, you can expect at least one call from a market researcher, (at a time convenient to you) during which you will have an opportunity to convey your full and frank impressions of our services and air any concerns or complaints. However, this charter will not detract from our obligations under our terms of business or your statutory rights.
Our Objectives
- To provide the best possible legal advice in the shortest possible time with particular emphasis on providing solutions to any problems we identify.
- To provide commercial and practical advice at all times and to avoid legal jargon.
- To give added value to clients by understanding, as far as possible, the clients business and providing advice in the context of that business as opposed to advising in a vacuum.
- To keep clients fully informed of the progress of their cases and to avoid lengthy periods of inactivity (unless so instructed).
- To provide full disclosure on our billing procedures.
Conduct of files
- Whilst recognizing that our people need holidays and will inevitably have to travel abroad at short notice, we will endeavour to avoid passing files from one lawyer to another but where this is unavoidable, you will be consulted and the reason given. That said, it is recognized that in order to provide a cost effective service, junior personnel may be better suited to fulfil certain routine tasks albeit under the supervision of a senior lawyer.
- Recognising that claims and litigation require good teamwork between client and solicitors, the firm will provide, at no charge, a regular review of each matter we are handling for that client. This will take place every 2/3 months depending on the complexity and value of the case and will include a review of costs incurred and estimated future costs.
- We will, if so requested, provide you with copies (as opposed to abstracts) of all foreign lawyers' reports or those experts retained on your behalf so you can see exactly what they are saying.
Reporting to Clients
Recognizing that each client is different, every client will receive at the outset a brief questionnaire seeking the following basic information:
- Preferred form of reporting e.g. e-mail, or telephone, fax or letter (including direct dial).
- Whether the client prefers detailed reporting complete with case law etc or summary form (although sometimes detail is unavoidable on complicated matters).
- We will provide details of two people to contact (including an emergency out of office number) about your case. We will ask for details of the two people in the client's organization from whom we can seek instructions or report to.
- Preferred frequency of billing and whether you want to be informed when billing reaches a pre-set figure.
- Whether to report only in the case of major developments or simply report on a regular basis in any event.
- Any particular aspects of the case, which clients believe, may be helpful in understanding the client's problems e.g. strong commercial relationships, which they are anxious to preserve.
Response Times
(subject to holidays and time zones):
- We will respond to all telephone calls, subject to time zone differences, within the following time limits. Calls received before 1pm - the same day. Call received after 1pm - before 12 o'clock the next day.
- All written communications, including e-mail will be acknowledged within 24 hours of receipt.
- Any calls or written communications marked 'urgent' will be acknowledged within 2 hours of receipt. In case of an emergency, clients are encouraged to call our people at home (we will provide at least one mobile and/or home number from the outset).
Of course it is essential that we achieve our own stringent controls if we are to distinguish ourselves from the numerous competing providers of legal services. If you believe that we are somehow failing, please do not hesitate to inform our principal, Benjamin Macfarlane. This charter is not legally binding and does not affect your statutory rights or impinge on our complaints procedure, details of which will be provided on request.
Please follow the following link for the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority Solicitors’ code of conduct rules: http://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/code-of-conduct.page
