Client Care, Confidentiality and Interest

We promise to you that you, our client, come first.

Our aim is to build excellent relationships with our clients by understanding your needs and delivering high quality, tailored legal solutions. Our client base extends throughout the UK and abroad – distance is no object, we’re delighted to take instructions via email or the telephone. We are available out of office hours for those times when you need to speak to your solicitors immediately.

Our client satisfaction survey carried out by our Practice Director following your instruction, allows us to collate your feedback, review our practices and continually improves and maintains our standards. Your feedback consistently gives testament to our high level of service.

Our high standards led us to gain the Lexcel accreditation award, the Law Society’s standard of excellence for practice management and client care. We never rest on our laurels, however, and ensure we maintain our excellence through regular reviews and re-accreditation.

Confidentiality

We take your confidentiality seriously.  From your first contact to your final closed file, every point of our correspondence and discussion is strictly confidential and bound by the codes of the Law Society.

We strictly abide by the data protection regulations and will never sell or pass on any client details.

Client Account Interest Policy

Kidwells Law Solicitors Ltd is regulated by the Solicitors Regulations Authority of England and Wales (SRA). The SRA’s professional rules including the Accounts Rules and code of conduct may be found at www.sra.org.uk/handbook.

General Client Account

Ordinarily we hold Client monies in our general client account as part of a pool of funds covering different clients and matters.

Where we hold funds in this way we calculate and pay a gross sum in lieu of interest subject to the circumstances set out in this policy.

•  On conclusion of your matter,  we will calculate the interest and pay to you or unless as otherwise requested.
• The rate we apply we believe reflects the market rate of interest paid on an instant access current account offered by our bank (National Westminster Bank PLC).
• We calculate interest on a daily simple interest basis.
•  In determining the period that we calculate interest we look at the following:
  1. The period between the date when the relevant funds received by us clear our account.
  2.  If we sent funds electronically the date when the funds are sent or if we send funds by cheque 5 days after the raising of the cheque.
• Client monies covered by unpaid client account cheques at the point that we run the interest calculation will be excluded from the principle funds on which we apply rate of interest.
• Interest on funds held in our general client account does not have tax deducted. It is therefore client’s responsibility to inform HMRC of any amounts of interest they receive from Kidwells.
• When funds are held in a separate designated client account Kidwells will pay to the client for all of the interest earned on such an account. When funds are held in such accounts then interest is usually paid net of tax.
• Please note interest will not be paid to the client in the following circumstances.
  1.   If the amount calculated is £20.00 or less.
  2.   On money held for payment of a professional disbursement and council has requested a delay in settlement.
  3.   Other than as may be required by the rules of professional practice; or
  4.   If there is an agreement between Kidwells and the client to contract out of the payment of interest.

Non-Sterling and Joint Client Bank Accounts

Kidwells do not hold any non-sterling client accounts or any joint accounts with any other law firm.

The firm will keep this policy under review and reserves the right to vary it as market conditions change. Any change will take immediate effect whether or not we notify clients.