The Client Charter

Whatever legal service you need, you have the right to be treated with care and professionalism by your solicitor. The Client’s Charter is your guide to what to expect from your solicitor.

Working Together - Whilst your solicitor has various duties to you as their client, they can only give their best advice and service if the information you give them is accurate and complete.

A solicitor will:  

• Put your interest first when representing you;

• Be polite and considerate in their dealings with you;

• Find out from the start what you are hoping to achieve, and aim to make sure that your expectations are realistic;

• Make every effort to explain things clearly, and in terms you can understand, keeping jargon to a minimum;

• Agree with you the type of service you can expect to receive;

• Tell you who will be handling your work;

• Explain what the costs are likely to be;

• Keep you informed of costs throughout, so that you can work out if a particular course of action is worth following financially;

• Respond to your letters and phone calls;

• Tell you about any developments and update you on progress as work proceeds;

• Give you a clear bill which shows the work done and the amount charged;

• Treat all clients fairly, and not discriminate against anyone because of his or her race, sex, sexual orientation (sexuality) or disability; and

• Keep what you tell us confidential, and refuse to act for anyone else if doing so could compromise that confidentiality.

This is a summary of the main rules and principles that apply to all solicitors.