Client Care

We put you at the centre of everything we do.

We monitor our performance and regularly review how well we are working for you.

This focus allows us to make sure the delivery of our service is smooth and efficient. We are always willing to implement new methods of case management to improve our high standards.

From the first time you contact us, you will find our clerks responsive and ready to help you find the right barrister. We have developed market-leading practice and case management processes, so that working with us is as easy and efficient as possible. Clear communication helps you stay on top of every case, while giving your clients, the care and attention they need.

At the point of booking we will send you an acknowledgment email which will confirm the details of the hearing including the parties’ names, venue, start time and length of hearing. We will also provide you with details of our standard payment terms, estimated fees, timescales for delivery of papers and a link to our client care letter. We encourage you to read this email carefully and let us know if anything arises from it which causes any issues.

If you have instructed a barrister to provide an opinion or any other drafting, our standard timescale for completion is 14 days. Where you need an earlier response, we would be grateful if you would discuss this at the point of booking and/or state it clearly in the covering letter or email.

There will be occasions, especially at short notice, where we have no counsel available. We may be able to arrange for a barrister to “double-up” and take on more than one case. This will depend on the types and complexity of hearing, both clients’ consent and the court listing. Where the cases are across two courts, we may still be able to provide cover if you can get the approval of the court in advance of the hearing. If we cannot provide counsel because of availability, due to the geographic location of the hearing or for some other reason, we may be able to assist you in finding cover.

We will provide a fee estimate upon booking counsel and we will seek to agree a fee with you after delivery of the brief.

You will receive an invoice within seven days of the completion of the work and our payment terms are 30 days. All of the services we offer are bound by standard contractual terms: click here

Whilst we have standard fee scales, payment terms and procedures in place we are always happy to discuss bespoke arrangements and would ask you to contact our Senior Clerk, Tim Smith, if you wish to discuss alternatives.

Our clerks have vast experience in dealing with legally aided cases and are well versed in LAA regulations. The fees we charge for work carried out in legally aided cases are done so in accordance with the LAA’s guidance.

We will send fee notes indicating the amount counsel has claimed whenever any work has been completed. These fees are always provisional and can be adjusted by the LAA. The fee notes are indicative of the likely fees and are provided to you to ensure the financial limit on the public funding certificate is not exceeded. The LAA normally write directly to us when counsel has been paid with details of any reductions to counsel’s fees or recoupments of previous payments, there are occasions where for some reason they write to you instead. If you do receive any correspondence from the LAA which relates to a reduction in our fees or a recoupment of previous payments of our fees then we ask that you inform us at the earliest opportunity. 

We understand that there are added layers of complexity in working within the administrative structures of Local Authorities. We can provide VAT invoices which include your unique purchase order numbers. We have considerable experiences working with outsourced financial administration service companies who deal with invoicing and payments.

We are happy to work with you to create a framework which sets out a fee structure and agreed service levels. If you would like to discuss setting up a bespoke framework, please contact our Senior Clerk, Tim Smith

Complaints

Inevitably no matter how hard we try to provide the highest level of service something will go wrong. If at any point you become unhappy with the service which we have provided to you then please inform us immediately so that we can do our best to resolve the problem for you.

If you or your client wishes to pursue a formal complaint, we have a Complaints Panel who will seek to investigate and resolve any issues promptly.

Alternatively contact us at complaints@stmarysfamily.co.uk

If we are unable to resolve your complaint, then you can have the complaint independently looked at by the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints about service issues with lawyers.

If you would like more information about this service, including the time limits for taking a case to them, please contact the Legal Ombudsman directly. You can find out more about their service by visiting www.legalombudsman.org.uk or contacting them on 0300 555 0333.

Please note that our standard 30 days terms of payment still apply even if a complaint is raised and this is dealt with at paragraph 12.4 of our standard contractual terms. If the complaint is found to be justified, then one possible outcome would be refund of some or all the fee and we have processes in place to promptly facilitate such action.

Complaints Procedure