Terms & Conditions

1. OUR AIM

Our aim is to complete the work which you have asked us to do promptly and efficiently. We need to work together to do this and from time to time we will need your help on providing us with documents and information. You agree to provide us with documents and information when we ask for them and let us know if there is any change in your circumstances which we may need to take into account, promptly.

We will ensure that you know the name of the Director responsible for your case and the name and status of all other persons who you are likely to be dealing with. We will ensure that you are fully informed as to the issues raised in, and the progress of, the work we are undertaking for you at all times.

If you feel that the level of the service provided falls below the criteria outlined above you should first raise your concern with the person responsible for your case, and in the event that you have any continuing concern you should approach the person whom you have been notified is the Client Relationship Director for your particular matter.

2. OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

We will:

• Always act in your best interests, subject to our duty to the Court and under statute; and in the case of property transactions, our duty to any lender;
• Explain to you the risks and benefits of taking legal action and of any alternatives;
• Give you our best advice;
• Give you the best information possible about the likely costs of the action which you are proposing to take, or the work you are asking us to undertake.

3. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

You will:

• Give us instructions that allow us to do our work properly;
• Provide prompt and realistic instructions;
• Provide us with all relevant information relating to the work which we are undertaking;
• Not ask us to work in an improper or unreasonable way;
• Not deliberately mislead us;
• Cooperate with us.
• Settle our bills in accordance with our payment terms

4. THIS DOCUMENT

The purpose of this document is to confirm the arrangements between us which we will usually have discussed and we confirm that we are working on the basis of this document as soon as we accept instructions from you. We ask you to sign and return to us a copy of this document to confirm this for our records.

5. CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVILEGE

Generally speaking the information and documentation which you provide to us is confidential and subject to legal professional privilege. However in some circumstances we are obliged to pass on information which we receive, for example to the Authorities who deal with money laundering and the Proceeds of Crime Act. You should also note that some methods of communication are not secure, for example mobile telephones and emails. Unless you let us know otherwise, we shall assume that you are content for communications to be made by such means even though they are not totally secure.

If there is some particular document or some particular piece of information which you require us specifically not to disclose to some third party then please make that clear when you supply it to us (though please bear in mind our obligations set out above which may override any requirement that you impose).

From time to time we may be called upon to demonstrate our maintenance of certain professional standards as set by appropriate authorities.  As we are necessarily regulated, such processing as described in this paragraph is necessary for the performance of our contract with you.

The return of these conditions signed by you will constitute your consent to the giving of such information, unless you advise us to the contrary.

6. MONEY LAUNDERING LEGISLATION AND THE PROCEEDS OF CRIME ACT

Under this legislation we have a duty to notify certain authorities of any transaction which in our opinion may be a breach of the relevant legislation and Regulations made under it. Accordingly, we have no liability to clients if we feel under a duty to make such a notification. Sometimes the law prohibits us from informing you that a notification has been made.

7. IDENTITY VERIFICATION

Pursuant to the Money Laundering Regulations we are required, as a legal obligation, to verify your identity. We will validate personal information provided by you using third party databases in order to conduct anti-money laundering checks.

8. DATA PROTECTION

This is dealt with in our letter of engagement. Full details of our company’s Privacy Policy are available on our website at www.sherborneslaw.co.uk/legal-statement or is available in hard copy on request. By signing these terms of business you confirm you understand and consent to the way we will handle your data.

9. THIRD PARTIES

These Terms and Conditions only apply between you and Sherbornes. At no time do they give any benefit or rights to any third party, individual or organisation.

10. STORAGE OF DOCUMENTS

At the end of your matter, we will store your file of papers or other documents that you have left with us for such period as we think is appropriate (normally seven years in order to enable you and/or us to access documents in case of a claim brought against you and/or us within the limitation periods applicable under English law) after which time the file will be securely destroyed. If you would prefer your documents not to be destroyed, you should notify us in writing at which stage, your records will be forwarded to you for safe custody. We may also store documents electronically.

We do not normally make a charge for retrieving stored papers in response to continuing or new instructions to act for you. However we reserve the right to make a charge for retrieving stored papers  in relation to matters which have been concluded based on the time we spend on reading papers, writing letters or other work necessary to comply with your additional instructions.

We also reserve the right to make a charge to cover the cost of administration and postage if you ask us to send your file of papers  or other documents that you have left with us to you or to another firm of solicitors by post.

11. INITIAL INTERVIEWS

We do not normally offer a free initial interview service but may do so in exceptional circumstances. This will only apply though if we have confirmed this to you.

12. LIMITATION ON LIABILITY

We carry professional indemnity insurance giving cover of three million pounds for any one claim for professional negligence. Sherbornes do not accept liability for any loss or damage in excess of the level of our insurance cover, unless we have agreed a special arrangement with you at the outset of your matter. From time to time the level of our indemnity cover is reviewed and we can tell you the current level if requested; that figure will not be less than fifteen million pounds.

13. LIEN

A lien is our right to keep all papers, documents, money or other property held on your behalf until all money due to us is paid. We have that right in accordance with this agreement. A lien may be applied after this agreement ends.

14. COSTS AND FEES

The way we calculate our costs and fees will be set out in the initial letter which we send you and usually will be discussed at our initial interview with you. There may occasionally be exceptions to this, when work has to be carried out urgently, or when you are already familiar with our methods of charging because of other work which we have done for you or people associated with you.

You should always consider whether your legal costs and expenses might be covered by a policy of legal expenses insurance cover and if it is or it might be then you should let us know immediately. However even if our costs and expenses are to be paid from another source e.g. a legal expenses insurer or some other party involved in the matter that we are dealing with for you, as our contract is with you, we reserve the right at our discretion to require you to pay our costs in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. (A legal expenses insurer indemnifies you, not us. It is important that you abide by the terms of any such insurance policy otherwise you may not be covered by it).

Fixed Price

In some cases we may be able to agree a fixed price with you, in which case we will make this clear in our letter to you.

Normal Charge Basis

In most matters, we will not be able to agree a fixed price because we do not know precisely what work is going to be involved. We will always try to give you the best information about the likely cost at the beginning of the matter and at intervals while it proceeds. However, you should be aware that the information that we give you is likely only to be our best guidance and circumstances can change.

Our fees are calculated on the basis of six minute units. Short outgoing letters and routine phone calls are charged as a single unit and all other work is timed. The charge per unit to be applied will be set out in the letter which we will send you. In addition, you will be responsible for VAT and out of pocket expenses (which we call disbursements or recharges).

In all matters, we will bill on a monthly basis unless agreed otherwise. This enables you to budget and assists our cashflow. Bills should be settled within thirty days of the date of the invoice and interest may be charged on overdue bills at the rate from time to time fixed by the Court. We reserve the right to cease acting should interim bills not be paid within thirty days or money not paid to us when reasonably requested for disbursements or recharges and/or on account of our costs.

Our charging rates are subject to periodic variation and we will notify you in advance of any change.

The rates applied may also be adjusted to reflect the level of responsibility which we have accepted, the exceptional value of our work to you, working unsociable hours or unusual skill or unusual speed applied to your matter.

In some types of matter, the charge may include an additional element reflecting the value of the property or assets involved.

Payments On Account

Before we incur disbursements or recharges, we may ask you for funds to meet them. We may also ask you for money on account either at the commencement of your case or at some other time. This will be held generally on account of fees disbursements and VAT and will be applied where we consider appropriate in discharge or reduction of any liability for any disbursement made or to be made, or any subsequent invoice rendered.

You may receive periodic requests for specific payments in respect of disbursements to be made and for general payments on account in respect of any liability which we have to pay ourselves. Examples of the former are court fees or search fees, examples of the latter are counsels fees (barristers fees), experts fees and witness expenses.

VAT

VAT will be charged in addition at the prevailing rate at the time of the provision of our services. If we arrange a service which we recharge to you (as a recharge) but which is not itself subject to VAT, we are required to charge VAT.

Out Of Pocket Expenses

We call out of pocket expenses disbursements. These are payments which we need to make on your behalf and these are not included in our estimates or rates.

By agreeing to these Terms and Conditions you have given us authority to incur and pay reasonable expenses in order to deal properly with your matter including search fees, for the instruction of experts, barristers fees, travelling expenses at 45 pence per mile and the cost of any other services reasonably required. Wherever possible we will endeavour to inform you of such payments in advance.

We also reserve the right to make a separate charge for exceptional office expenditure such as exceptional postage or telephone charges, courier services, copying and sending or receiving faxes.

Some times it is necessary for us to send money by Telegraphic Transfer. You may also ask us to send you money by the same method.

Costs Of Other Parties

Sometimes you may be required to pay the costs of another person or other body involved in your matter. These are payable in addition to our own costs and expenses. You are always personally liable to pay those. We do not pay those on your behalf.

Payment Generally

If we are holding any money or property on your behalf, then we can deduct money that is due to us, or retain that property, until payment is made.

Our charges and expenses are payable whether or not the matter is successfully concluded or the transaction is completed. If any matter or transaction is not concluded, we shall be entitled at our discretion to charge for the work done on our normal charging basis as set out in this agreement. This applies even where a fixed rate has been agreed for the whole matter.

Payment of our charges should be made within thirty (30) days of the date of the invoice. Interest will be charged on overdue invoices at the rate allowed by the Court from time to time.

Costs Recovered From Another Party

If we recover costs from some other party for fees and expenses incurred, we are entitled to retain those costs and fees on account of money due to us under this agreement.

It is rare for any sums recovered to be sufficient to reimburse you in full. We reserve the right to charge you the difference between our total costs and disbursements and the sum recovered from the other party.

By agreeing to these Terms and Conditions you accept that you are liable to pay our charges and expenses at the rates agreed with you and not as limited by Section 74 (3) of the Solicitors Act 1974 and not by reference to any of the principles concerning fees and expenses made out on the Civil Procedure Rules 1998.

15. INTEREST ON CLIENT ACCOUNT

If we hold money on your behalf in our client bank account, you are not entitled to any interest as our client account is  interest free.

CONCLUSION

Unless otherwise agreed, these Terms of Business apply to any future instructions you give us with such variations as may reasonably be appropriate to any other instructions which you give to us. These terms may only be varied in writing by a Director of Sherbornes Solicitors Limited in advance of any changes taking effect.

Your continuing instructions in this matter will amount to your acceptance of these Terms and Conditions of Business. We will send you a copy of our terms and a duplicate and will ask you to sign, date and return the duplicate copy. We can then be confident that you understand the basis on which we will act for you. If you do not sign and return the duplicate copy immediately we may not be able to commence or continue working for you.

If more than one person signs these Terms of Business then you are each agreeing to be bound by them and to be jointly and severally responsible for our costs and fees.

If you are signing on behalf of some other person you are agreeing that you are authorised to do so on their behalf.

If you are signing on behalf a company you are agreeing that the company has resolved that you may do so and that you may commit the company to these Terms of Business.