Terms and Conditions
Responsibility
for the work - Client care
All clients are offered
an effective and efficient service.
Ursula Bagnall specialises in divorce and ancillary matters,
including Children and Finance.
If clients need to speak to a solicitor and one is unavailable,
then messages can be left with our experienced secretaries
and a qualified Solicitor will be in contact as soon as possible.
Fees
('Costs')
Costs are calculated
by reference to the time spent by a Solicitor, Barrister or
other Executive staff when dealing with a clients case.
The charging rate will be agreed with the client at the outset
of the matter and will depend on its complexity and other
factors. Please refer to the Fees and Charges section
for further details.
Charges at the hourly rate will be applied for the following:-
-All meetings, either with the client or anyone else connected
to the case.
-Preparing and receiving letters, documents and telephone
calls.
-Attending court with or without the client.
-Preparing instructions for the Barrister (where Ursula Bagnall
is not herself representing the client in court) or any other
expert to represent or advise.
Routine, i.e. reasonably short letters or telephone calls
will be charge at one-tenth of the hourly rate. Longer items
will be timed and charged accordingly.
Traveling and waiting is charged at half the hourly rate.
No charge for travel to the mainland is levied for first meetings
with clients, where those meetings are held within the Solent
area.
Clients must register their objection to the above charges
before work on their case commences,
otherwise their right to alter the chargeable rates will be
restricted.
Should a clients case not be carried to completion for any
reason, then a charge will be made in respect of the work
that has already been completed on the clients behalf.
NB. Charges are reviewed at the beginning of each
year and such charges will be posted as soon as possible.
VAT
VAT is
payable on charges to this practice.
Payment Procedures
1-
Payments on Account
It is normal to request that clients make
payments on account of anticipated costs and disbursements,
including Counsels fees.
It is asked that clients meet such requests promptly. If however,
there is some difficulty in complying to such a request, them
clients are advised to provide this information as soon as
possible.
In order to avoid any difficulties over unpaid accounts, it
is required that at all times client accounts be in credit.
This will be credited against a clients final
bill and not against any interim bills.
Further payments may be required from time to time, in order
to cover anticipated costs and disbursements, including Court
fees and Counsels fees.
Payments are preferred by cheque to 'Ursula Bagnall Solicitor'.
2- Standing
Orders
Where is suits a client, it is acceptable
to set up a monthly standing order towards ongoing costs.
The amount of the standing order can be agreed at the initial
interview or any time thereafter.
3- Bills
and Costs
Requests for further payments on account will
be produced at regular intervals as the case proceeds.
Failure to make requested payments, will result in the practice
refusing to continue to act further and the full amount for
work carried out thus far will then be invoiced to the client.
Regrettably, it will then be necessary to apply to the court
for an Order to have the name of Ursula Bagnall Solicitor
removed from the Court records, as she will no longer be acting
on that clients behalf.
It then becomes the clients responsibility to either act for
themselves or to instruct another Solicitor. For this reason
and with reference to the section below, entitled - 'Termination',
it is requested that every client sign a notice of Acting
in Person, which will be detailed by us from the
outset of the matter and will be lodged with the Court in
the event that our retainer is terminated.
All outstanding payments must be made before papers and documents pertaining to the clients case are released. Any and all costs and fees incurred in respect of the removal of Ursula Bagnall's name from the Court records will be payed by the client.
NB. All accounts should be settled within 30 days. After this time interest is charged at 8% per anum.
Termination
A client can terminate
the instruction for a solicitor to act for them at any time.
Any such request should be put in writing. In such cases all
papers and documents will be kept until any outstanding costs
are paid in full.
Ursula Bagnall will cease to act for a client if:-
1. Payment is not made on account or settled in accordance with those terms set out earlier.
2. It is the opinion of the Solicitor that they will be in breach of the rules of professional conduct.
3. The client cannot or will not provide clear instructions.
4. It is considered that there is a clear and irrevocable breakdown of trust between client and their legal representative.
Storage
of Documents
All document will be returned to the client at the
end of a case, subject to the terms of payment stated above.
Copies of all files are kept for six years. Copies can be
obtained by clients. Although a small charge will be levied
for this service.
Complaints
All complaints about the legal services provided
by this office should be put in writing as soon as they become
apparent, where they will be dealt with with extreme urgency.
Should a satisfactory resolution not be possible, then the
matter will be passed to another Solicitor for mediation/arbitration.
Liability
to the Client
Solicitors in this practice endeavour at all times
to provide legal services with care, skill and competence.
However, if such services fall below acceptable standards
of professional competence- or the Solicitor is negligent
or fails to act in the best interests of the client then they
may be liable for any loss sustained by the client.
Clients however, must provide all information and
documentation pertaining to their case, so that their legal
team can properly present a case. The Solicitor cannot provide
a service unless he or she is properly and truthfully informed
of the circumstances.
The practice cannot be held responsible for the services provided
by any other professional instructed in your case, such as
a Barrister or expert witness.
The practice carries the compulsory Professional Indemnity
Insurance required by the Law Society.
Money
Laundering regulations
In line with the law we will apply procedures against
the risk of money laundering. These checks will require the
following documents and information to be provided before
instruction can begin.
1. An official document bearing a clients photograph. Passport- Photo Card- Driving Licence.
2. Two recent documents- Utility bills - Bank Statement, which bear the Clients current address.
3. Cash payments exceeding £600.00 pounds per month, cannot be accepted for any services.
4. The source of any payments made must me divulged. (Usual Bank of Building Society account). Non UK bank accounts or one in the name of another party may be used, but this must be put in writing, along with the reasons for doing so.
Data
Protection
This practice is registered under the Data Protection
Act. Therefore, no information will be supplied to any third
party except as may be necessary to properly conduct a clients
case, to comply with current legislation or with the clients
written consent.