Compulsory Compliance Information

This information sheet is intended to also comply with the Provision of Services Regulations 2009.

As solicitors we are requested by the Solicitors Regulation Authority whose web site address is www.sra.org.uk and are required by the Solicitors Code of Conduct and statute to provide you with certain compulsory information and we draw your attention and request that you read the following: –

Client Care/Complaints

We strive to provide the highest levels of client satisfaction but occasionally you may have concerns or even a complaint. Please refer to our complaints procedure for full details on how to raise any concerns with us.

The Bill of Costs

Our Bill of Costs will be in accordance with the costs information we have provided you and in accordance with this firm’s terms and conditions of business.

Although the bill has not yet been delivered good practice dictates that we provide you with information with regard to our bill of costs:

1. That you are entitled to complain about our bill;
2. You may have the right to object to the bill by applying to the Court for an assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974;
3. If all or part of the bill remains unpaid the firm may be entitled to charge interest.

We further inform you that as part of our retainer it is an express term that we have a lien on all papers and monies in our possession or passing through our accounts in respect of any unpaid costs or disbursements that might be due to the firm.

Payment of sums due to client

Sums due to the client are payable by client account cheque to sole or joint clients as appropriate to the matter. We are sometimes able to make electronic payments upon payment of our fee but this is at our discretion having assessed the risk and nature of the transaction. Please do not request that we make varied or third party payments. Having considered the Solicitors Accounts Rules and in accordance with our risk management policy we are unable to accommodate such a request.

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Kew Law LLP has professional indemnity insurance cover provided by HDI Global Specialty SE-UK policy no. OSO25029256A. Whose contact details are: – Registered Office 10 Fenchurch Street London EC3M 3BE.

The territorial coverage of the insurance is England and Wales.

Equality and Diversity

Kew Law LLP is committed to promoting equality and diversity in all its dealings with clients, third parties and employees. A copy of our Diversity and Equal Opportunity Policy is available on request.

Data Protection

We use the information you provide to us primarily for the provision of legal services to you and for related purposes including: updating and enhancing client records analysis to help us manage our practice, statutory returns and legal and regulatory compliance and in accordance with our Privacy Policy Notice available to print and view at https://www.kewlaw.co.uk/policies/privacy-notice/. A hard copy can be supplied upon request.

Storage of Documents

After completing the work, we will be entitled to keep all your papers and documents while there is still money owed to us for fees and expenses.

We will keep our file containing your papers for at least 6 years, except those papers that you ask to be returned to you. We keep files on the understanding that we can destroy them 6 years after the date of the final bill. We will not destroy documents you ask us to deposit into safe custody though there may be a charge for this.

If we take papers or documents out of storage in relation to continuing or new instructions to act for you, we will not normally charge for such retrieval. However, we may charge you both for:

a) time spent producing stored papers that are requested;
b) reading correspondence or other work necessary to comply with your instructions in relation to the retrieved papers.

The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013

The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 apply to your file. This means you have the right to cancel your instructions to us without giving any reason within fourteen days of receiving this letter or the date you signed and returned the Terms of Business, whichever is earlier. To exercise the right to cancel, you must inform us of your decision to cancel this contract by a clear written statement (e.g. a letter sent by post or by fax). A model cancellation form is available upon request, but it is not obligatory to use it.

To meet the cancellation deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right to cancel before the cancellation period has expired. If you cancel this contract within 14 days then we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of returning documentation (except for the supplementary costs arising if you choose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us). We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to cancel this contract. We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of the reimbursement. However, if you request us to begin the performance of services during the cancellation period, you may be charged for the work done on your file which has been performed until you have communicated to us your cancellation of this contract.

Where you have not already authorised us to proceed with our service(s) and you would like us to commence work on your file within the next fourteen working days, please forward your identification documents and any enclosed questionnaires immediately. Once we have started work on your file, you may be charged if you then cancel your instructions.

Cyber Crime

Cybercrime is a growing problem for everyone involved in legal services. An SRA report in December ‘16 revealed that not only were there £7m of client losses reported in the last year but that three-quarters of cybercrimes reported involved criminals modifying emails directly, usually by hacking into the email system of an individual, and altering the emails and bank details so that funds go to the criminal rather than the solicitor’s or client’s account. Our client account details WILL NOT change during the course of your transaction. If you receive notification of a change in our bank account details please attend one of our branch offices in person to report.

Insurance Distribution Directive (Instructing Title Indemnity Insurance)

Kew Law LLP is an Exempt Professional Body and considered an Ancillary Insurance Intermediary and accordingly our compliance the Directive is limited to our regulator’s requirements for implementation. Kew Law LLP’s insurance activities are limited to specifically arranging title indemnity insurance during property conveyancing transactions. To ensure regulatory compliance the staff involved in arranging insurance will maintain sufficient continuing professional development hours and the Practice will maintain sufficient professional indemnity insurance. The Practice has a selection of potential insurers to instruct and accordingly the best interests of the Client in terms of cost and cover will be considered and advised to the client prior to completion of the insurance contract. Kew Law LLP will not accept a commission in respect of insurance.

About Us

Status of person dealing with your matter:

They can best be contacted by telephone or email during the day. Occasionally due to time constraints some telephone calls on your matter may be dealt with by a Secretary or a Locum if our representative is out of the office or otherwise engaged with other clients.