Client Charter - Vyman Solicitors

Purpose of the Charter

The purpose of this Charter is to set out: the principles and philosophy we aim to follow in providing our legal services to you; what you should expect from us; and what we expect from you.

How to get started

If you have not received it already, we will let you have our engagement letter which sets out, amongst other things, the scope of our services and the basis of our charging.

In order to get started, please sign and return that engagement letter to us, together with any information or documents requested (for example KYC and case documents), and please make any payments on account requested.

We are guided by our Vision, Mission and Values.

Our Vision is to build lasting relations with those that share our values, to be their long-term trusted advisers, and their first port of call in all aspects of their business and personal lives. Our ultimate goal is to help you achieve success.

Our Mission is to stand by you, to ease your burdens and help you realise your aspirations. From the outset, we will endeavour to take responsibility, and formulate and implement a strategy to manage your legal issue. We will endeavour to deal with your matter pragmatically, innovatively and efficiently. We will always aim to exceed your expectations through teamwork and excellent client service. We will strive to be your personal adviser in an increasingly impersonal world.

Our Core Values include reliability, transparency, integrity, attentiveness, supportiveness, innovation, passion, entrepreneurship, teamwork, and proactivity.

What to expect from us going forwards

Goals. We aim to discuss with you the goals or objectives you are seeking to achieve, and what strategies and action plans we propose should be followed in order to help you achieve them.

Likely Costs. At the outset of your case, we will endeavour to provide you with a realistic estimate of the likely costs and, if your case is long-running, what you should budget for on a monthly basis. We sometimes find that, during the course of a case, there are additional matters that need to be regularised or addressed. We aim to keep you updated about these additional matters and any related costs.

Reporting. We will aim to keep you informed on a regular basis. This can be achieved by us copying you in on relevant correspondence, emailing you, or sending more formal reports.

Responses. As you will appreciate, our legal staff deal with a complex and active caseload. Consequently, it is not always possible to respond to your email or telephone call immediately. But we will endeavour to respond as quickly as possible and in any event within 1 working day (or 2 at most) if possible.

How to get the most from us - What we expect from you

Teamwork. To enable us to do our absolute best for you, teamwork is crucial. Our advice and service is dependent on the information and documentation we receive from you. Ideally, please
provide full information and documentation in an orderly and well organised manner at the outset (rather than piecemeal) and whenever it is requested.

Responses. Please do respond to our requests as soon as you can. Any delay may hinder us in providing the most efficient and cost-effective service. We prefer email to other means of communication (because email is checked more regularly).

How to resolve any issues

If your expectations, instructions or circumstances change at any time, please tell us immediately. If you feel we have misunderstood something, you are unsure of anything, or we are not performing as you expected, please let the person dealing with the case know. If that does not resolve the issue, please contact their Head of Department or follow the procedure detailed in our engagement letter.

Invoicing and payment

Cash flow. This is the lifeblood of any business. If we are constantly chasing for payments, this diverts our resources and attention away from the important task of providing effective and proactive legal services.

Payments on Account. Accordingly, we request payments upfront on account. Such payments are held in our client account and only used towards settling invoices after our invoices have been submitted. As well as helping our cash flow, these payments demonstrate commitment from you.

Regular Invoicing. We will submit interim (usually monthly) or final invoices in respect of work that has already been performed. We therefore ask you to settle all invoices within 14 days (if they have not been settled from payments on account). Please avoid us having to chase.

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