Core Activity
- The Firm will provide all clients that have been referred with conveyancing services within the agreed service levels herein
- The Firm will collect relevant information required to progress a client's matter.
- The Firm will protect the client's interests at all time providing regular feedback to the client on the progress of their transaction.
- The Firm will record and manage all complaints relating to the conveyancing service liaising with Introducers (if any) to agree action and solutions where necessary.
- All disbursements will be funded and borne by the Client unless separately agreed.
Availability/Business Hours
- Mon - Fri Office opening hours are 9.00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. except for Bank Holidays.
- Clients will have full access to the Fee Earner and or their Assistant by telephone, facsimile, written communications and e-mail.
- Clients will have full access to the Head of Conveyancing by telephone, facsimile, written communications and e-mail.
INCOMING POST
- All incoming post is to be date stamped on the day it is received.
- All incoming post is to be reviewed on the day received and actioned within 4 working days.
- All incoming faxes are to be reviewed immediately by the Team Leader and actioned in accordance with the timescale set following review.
- All mortgage reports are to be reviewed and actioned within 2 working days.
- All search reports are to be reviewed and actioned within 2 working days.
- All Contract Packs received on Purchases are to be reviewed and enquiries raised to the Seller’s Solicitors within 3 working days.
TELEPHONE CALLS AND E MAILS
- Telephone calls are to be returned within 24 hours and wherever possible on the day received.
- All telephone calls to be answered within 4 rings.
- Incoming e mails to be acknowledged immediately and actioned within 24 hours (unless urgent in which case to be treated as faxes).
CLIENT UPDATES
- All Clients are to be updated at least once every 7 days
NEW INSTRUCTIONS
- New matters are to be opened on the day received and passed to the Team Leader for allocation.
- New matters to be reviewed by TL on day received and allocated.
- Administrative Assistant to review new instructions and contact client within 2 hours.
FILE REVIEWS
- All files are to be reviewed monthly and a note to that effect put on the file.
CASE MANAGEMENT
- All ‘to do’ lists are to be actioned daily and no ‘to do’ entry is to be more than 3 days old.
- All ‘critical entries’ are to be actioned on date required.
- No file is to be left without a diary review date at any time.
Complaint Management Procedures
- A complaint will be classed by the following definition " Any expression of dissatisfaction, whether oral or in writing and whether justified or not, from or on behalf of an eligible complainant about the firm’s provision of or failure to provide a legal service."
- Any complaint falling into the definition can be resolved by the Fee Earner but must be escalated to the Head of Department if the client remains dissatisfied.
- A central record will be held of all complaints detailing the client's name, policy number and nature of the complaint along with an indication from the company as to how the case was resolved and whether or not the complaint was justified.
- Written complaints from a client will be actioned within 24 hours with a letter of acknowledgement which will include a deadline as to when a full response will be received by the client.
- Telephone complaints from a client will be actioned within stated call back deadlines with a deadline being set as to when a full response to the complaint will be received by the client either in writing or by telephone.
