A lot of people put off calling a legal firm because they are not sure what they are getting themselves into. Will someone pressure them into instructing? Will they be charged for the first conversation? Will they end up committed to something before they have had a chance to think?
The answer to all three is no. Here is what actually happens.
Phone, email, or the contact form on our website. Whichever works best for you.
If you call, our reception team will take your details and a brief note of what you need. We will come back to you by email the same day in most cases. If your enquiry arrives late in the day, it will be the next working morning.
If you email or use the contact form, we aim to respond the same day, where possible.
That first contact is free. We will either confirm we can help, ask a couple of questions to make sure we understand the situation properly, or be straight with you if your matter is something we do not handle.
Once we know we can help, we will point you to our booking page. You can choose a 30-minute or 45-minute consultation, depending on what you need to cover.
The consultation is paid for (30 minutes = £50 or 45 minutes = £75). Payment is taken online before the call is booked. Once your payment is confirmed, the call gets scheduled within 48 hours.
On the call, we will go through your situation. We ask the questions we need to ask, give you initial advice where we can, and make sure we have the full picture before saying anything we cannot stand behind. By the end of the call, you will know where you stand, what your options are and whether the matter is actually worth pursuing. There is no obligation to do anything further.
After the call, if you decide to take things further, we will follow up by email. Where we can give you a fixed fee at that stage, we will. Where we need to review documents or gather more information before we can quote, we will tell you that clearly and explain what happens next. Either way, you will know where you stand before any work begins.
If you instruct us within seven days of the consultation call, the £50/£75 consultation fee is deducted from your first invoice.
If you decide not to proceed, that is absolutely fine. You have paid for the advice on the call, and that is all you owe.
If you decide to go ahead, we will send you a client engagement letter, our terms of business, and an invoice. Work will be added to our caseload once payment has cleared and we have your approval to proceed.
For most of our services, payment is made in full before we start. For matters charged by the hour, we may ask for a payment on account first. Either way, you will know exactly what you are paying before we do anything.
We keep things simple. You will hear from us when there is something to tell you, when we need information from you, or when a decision needs to be made. We do not send updates for the sake of it; we do what we can to keep the costs down.
If something changes and the cost is likely to increase, we will tell you before doing the work. Not after
Same day in most cases. If your enquiry comes in close to or after closing time, the next working morning.
No. Almost all of our work is done by phone, video and email. If you would prefer to meet in person, please get in touch, and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Contact us anyway. We will tell you honestly whether your situation warrants it and what the options are. If we cannot help, we will say so and/or recommend someone who may be able to assist if we cannot.
We will discuss it with you and agree on a revised quote before doing anything further. You will never receive a bill for work you did not agree to.
Yes. We work with businesses across England and Wales. Our offices are in Wokingham, Congleton and Broadstairs, but most of our clients never need to visit us in person.
Yes, as long as you instruct us within seven days of the call. It comes off your first invoice.
Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4pm. We aim to respond to all enquiries received during those hours the same day. Calls may be answered from 8am to 6pm.
