1
We’re responsive to our clients’ way of working
Take a typical asb case. You investigate; if appropriate, warn, to (hopefully) bring about a change in a person’s behaviour; if that fails, you may need to take matters further.
Where do we come in? Sometimes we’ll deal with a case from the outset, advising on strategies for tackling the problem at its root, working with the client to interview potential witnesses, drafting statements, preparing notices and other documents, in anticipation of possible legal action.
On other occasions we don’t get involved until it’s clear that litigation is necessary, after the groundwork has been done. Certain clients are happy to prepare court papers, issue proceedings and conduct the early stages of litigation themselves; and only call upon us to assist if a case becomes defended. Done properly - and we’re happy to offer any guidance you need - this is one way of reducing your legal costs.
We are happy to take on a case at any stage.
2
We’re flexible
We think you’ll notice a difference in how we operate.
For a start, we don’t operate 9 to 5, Monday to Friday. Emergency applications are routinely turned around overnight. This enables us to attend court at very short notice. We operate an out of hours service, so are also on hand to provide urgent advice, or deal with arrests for breach of injunction.
Secondly, many of our clients manage housing stock nationwide. We will represent you in any court in England and Wales. If we have to travel, we bear the additional costs of travel, not you. (Travel costs are capped. Further details are available on request.)
3
We’re cost-effective
Lawyers aren’t cheap. However, we believe you can make significant savings on your legal budget.
Low overheads enable us to price our services competitively. In many cases you’ll find that our hourly charge is lower than the rate you’re currently paying.
You’ll appreciate, however, that the hourly rate doesn’t tell the whole story; and that the firm offering the lowest rate isn’t necessarily the cheapest.
Most solicitors still charge on a time-spent basis. The longer they take to complete a task, the more you pay. It’s fairly obvious that charging by the hour rewards those lawyers who prefer advice to action, or don’t know what they’re doing.
We take a different approach. We recognise that advice is important. However, we promise not to bore you with reasons why your preferred outcome isn’t do-able; focusing instead on what we can achieve. Nor will we send you away with a ‘shopping list’ of what we need to build the perfect case. We know what works, and that you probably need a speedy result.
In short, we won’t spend your legal budget (and create delay) telling you why you can’t achieve a particular result. Instead, we’ll explain succinctly your options, and what we think your prospects are, then make it happen.