Terms of Business

GILES DIXON

TERMS OF BUSINESS

for

 Legal Services

These Terms of Business, together with any covering letter or email, apply in relation to all services provided to our Clients.

Standard of care	We will exercise reasonable skill and care in the provision of our services.  We will update you regularly on the progress of any matter being handled on your behalf.  We will deal promptly with your queries.
Fee Earners	We will identify the individual primarily responsible for your work before any services are commenced.
Office hours	Our normal office hours are 9.00 am to 5.00 pm weekdays. We are sometimes available outside these times.
Communication & Email	We will usually communicate with you by email. We do not accept responsibility for any problems that may arise through the use of internet communication and all risks connected with sending commercially sensitive information are borne by you.
Confidentiality.	Subject to any overriding requirements of the law, we will treat as confidential all matters on which we are instructed.
Fees and Payment	When work is done on a time-related basis, fees will be calculated by reference to the time spent and the applicable hourly and/or daily rate. The rates will be established before the work starts.   When work is done on a fixed fee basis, the fixed fee will only apply to the services specifically covered by the agreed scope: any extra work will be chargeable at our normal hourly rates.   Invoices will usually be issued monthly and payment is due within 28 days from the invoice date. We reserve the right to require a payment on account before any services are commenced.   Each invoice will be accompanied by a brief summary of the work undertaken.   Our rates are fixed annually and may be subject to adjustment each year.   Out-of-pocket expenses including items such as courier charges, long distance phone calls, travel and accommodation costs will be reimbursable at cost.
Late payment	We reserve the right to charge interest on overdue accounts at the statutory rate as laid down by the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
Client Identification	In order to comply with regulations concerning money laundering, we need to obtain evidence of the identity of any new client and you will be responsible for supplying us with the evidence requested.
Other consultants	If requested, we may introduce you to other professional consultants.  In that event, the advice given to you by those consultants will be without any responsibility on our part and you will be responsible directly to them for the payment of their fees and expenses.
Complaints	If you are unhappy with any of the services at any time, please contact Giles Dixon about this with your complaint.  If it is not resolved, you have the right to take the complaint to the Legal Ombudsman at lso@olso.gsi.gov.uk within 6 months from our final response to your complaint
Copyright	Copyright in all documents which we prepare will belong to us unless we have agreed a different arrangement with you.
Termination by you	You can terminate your instructions to us at any time in writing and you will then be responsible for payment of all fees and expenses due up to the termination date.
Termination by us	We reserve the right to stop acting for you in certain circumstances - if, for example, we do not receive adequate instructions or if you fail to pay an invoice when it is due.  If we stop acting, you will be responsible for fees and expenses up to the termination date.
Limit of Liability	Our liability to you for any failure or negligence in any of our services will, unless otherwise agreed in writing by us, be limited to the minimum level of professional indemnity insurance cover that our practice is required to maintain by the Law Society – this is currently £2 million. We will have no liability (in contract or in tort) for any consequential, special, or indirect loss, including any loss of profit or loss of opportunity suffered or incurred by you.  However liability for personal injury or death that is due to our negligence is not limited.
Third parties	All advice and services which we provide are given to you as our client, and we will not owe a duty of care or have any liability to any third party.
Insurance	Our professional indemnity insurance is arranged with Zurich Insurance of 3 Minster Court, Mincing Lane, London EC3R 7DD.
Data Protection	The Data Protection Act requires us to advise you that your particulars are held on our database.  Giles Dixon may, from time to time, use these details to send you information which we think might be of interest to you.
Retention of papers	After completing the work, we are entitled to keep all your papers and documents while there is money owing to us for our costs.  We will keep your papers and documents (except any papers which are returned to you by us) for 6 years following which we may destroy without further notice to you.
Law and Jurisdiction	Any matters relating to our professional services and/or these terms of business are governed by and construed in accordance with English law and will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.