Terms and Conditions of Business

Please read these Terms and Conditions in conjunction with our client care letter.

1. About us

SR Solicitors is a solicitors' practice authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Our registered office is at Yeoland Meadow, Yeoland Lane, Swimbridge, EX32 0QU. Steph Rodgers is responsible for your work and is the sole owner of SR Solicitors.

2. Business hours & contacting us

We do not have fixed opening hours, and our firm's ethos is to work around your schedule. Appointments are available day, evenings and weekends subject to our availability and discretion.

You may reach us by telephone and if we are not available then you are welcome to leave a message. As we do not have fixed office opening hours, there is no guarantee that your call will be answered immediately and during the day. We respectfully ask that you refrain from calling during the night. Email enquiries are welcomed at any time. Our full contact details are provided in your client care letter.

We will communicate with you via meetings, letters, telephone, or email, unless you inform us of a preferred method.

Visiting the website, sending us an enquiry through the contact form, or emailing us does not create a solicitor-client relationship. A relationship is only formed when we have agreed in writing to act for you, you have signed our client care letter, and we have completed our client identification checks.

3. Charges, expenses & payment

Our fees are based on time spent by our staff, including meetings, research, drafting, correspondence, calls, and travel. Steph Rodgers' hourly rate is £200. There is no VAT chargeable to your matter. Some work is charged on a fixed fee basis; details are provided in your client care letter. Expenses incurred on your behalf ("disbursements") must be funded by you in advance unless otherwise agreed. If your matter does not reach completion, fees and expenses for work done will still apply.

Invoices are due upon receipt. We do not accept partial payments or monthly standing orders. In certain cases, interim bills may be issued at regular intervals as detailed in your client care letter. We may request advance payments to cover anticipated costs; prompt payment is required to avoid delays. Failure to pay may result in us ceasing to act for you. Payments are accepted only by bank transfer; account details will be provided upon request. Always verify bank details by phone before transferring funds.

4. Handling client money

Interest on funds held is paid in accordance with the Solicitors Accounts Rules. We operate a single client account and do not invest funds for optimal interest. Executors may be advised to seek financial advice if estate funds are held long-term. In the event of bank failure, we will make a claim under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) on your behalf, with your consent, and may need to provide information to FSCS. The FSCS covers deposits up to £85,000 per client. Interest is calculated on cleared balances and paid annually, without tax deduction; you are responsible for declaring it. Interest is added to your account on 31st March and paid at the conclusion of your matter.

5. Financial Conduct Authority

We are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and may refer you to a qualified adviser if necessary.

6. Home visits & distance selling

If we have not met in person, you may cancel your instructions within 14 days of receiving our client care letter without charge. Please contact Steph Rodgers to exercise this right. If you request immediate commencement of work, please sign and return the client care letter and terms. If you cancel during the cooling-off period after we have started work, you may be charged for work already completed. After 14 days, standard charging applies.

7. Information on the website & social media

The information published on the website and social media pages is provided in good faith and for general information only. It does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Legal advice depends on the specific facts of your situation, and you should seek formal advice before taking any action based on the content of this Site.

While we take reasonable steps to keep the information on the website and social media pages accurate and up to date, we make no warranties or representations about its completeness, accuracy, or suitability for any particular purpose.

You agree to use the website and social media pages only for lawful purposes. You must not:

• Use the website or social media pages in any way that breaches applicable law.
• Transmit any material that is harmful, defamatory, obscene, or otherwise objectionable.
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the website, social media pages, its servers, or any connected systems.
• Use the website and social media pages to send unsolicited marketing or spam.
• Copy, reproduce, or republish any content from this website or social media pages without our written permission.

All content on the website and/or social media pages — including text, images, logos, and branding — is owned by SR Solicitors or licensed for our use, and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. You may view, download, and print pages for your personal, non-commercial use only.

8. Data protection, privacy & cookies

We handle personal data about you and related parties to provide legal services, manage records, and fulfil legal requirements such as anti-money laundering checks. This may involve sharing data with third-party processors who uphold strict data protection standards. By providing data, you consent to its processing and transfer, or confirm you have obtained necessary consents from others.

Legislation requires us to verify your identity and perform checks before commencing work. By accepting these terms, you consent to such checks, which may involve registered Credit Reference Agencies. No credit check is performed and your credit rating is unaffected. Information is treated securely in line with GDPR 2016 and the Data Protection Act 2018. These procedures may cause minor delays, which we strive to minimise. We may be legally obliged to report certain information to the National Crime Agency (NCA) and may not be permitted to inform you or others of such reports or reasons for ceasing work.

For further details, please see our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

9. Document storage

We do not retain original documents. All files are stored electronically and kept indefinitely. You may request a copy at any time; an administrative fee may apply depending on the duration since file closure.

10. Complaints

We aim to deliver excellent service. If you are dissatisfied, you may request our Complaints Procedure. After the process or eight weeks from your complaint, you may refer the matter to the Legal Ombudsman (PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ; Tel: 0300 555 0333; Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk; Website: legalombudsman.org.uk). Complaints must usually be brought within twelve months of our final written response or within six years of the incident, or three years from when you became aware of it. You may also apply to the court for an assessment of our bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974; note that the Legal Ombudsman may not consider complaints about bills assessed by the court.

11. Termination

You may terminate instructions at any time in writing. We reserve the right to retain documents if fees remain unpaid. If you wish us to stop work or incurring charges, notify us clearly in writing. If we cease acting for you (for example, due to non-payment), we will provide written notice and the reason.

12. Professional indemnity insurance & limitation of liability

If circumstances beyond our control prevent us from providing agreed services, we will notify you and deadlines will be extended accordingly. Such failures do not constitute breach of agreement, and we are not liable for indirect losses, including profit or income. Our liability does not extend to issues outside the scope of engagement or changes in law after services are provided. We hold professional indemnity insurance for our work; details are available upon request.

13. Changes to these terms

We may amend these terms from time to time. The latest version will always be available on this page, with the date of the most recent update shown at the top. By continuing to use our services, you accept the current version of these terms.

14. Contact us

If you have any questions about these terms, please contact us at steph@srsolicitors.co.uk or 01271 624046.