We are a freelance solicitor providing reserved legal services under regulation 10.2(b) of the Authorisation of Individuals Regulations, and we are not required to meet the SRA’s minimum terms and conditions in respect of the professional indemnity insurance.
Please note that alternative insurance arrangements are in place and if requested by the client, we will provide information about the cover provided. This requirement applies whether the client is purchasing reserved or non-reserved legal services according to rule 4.3 of the SRA Transparency Rules. Our professional indemnity insurer is ARCH INSURANCE (EU) DAC.
Our professional indemnity insurance cover does not extend to damages or other monetary awards, judgments or negotiated settlements or claims made or suits brought before any arbitrator, tribunal or court in the following countries: Canada.
We do not accept liability for any loss or damage caused by negligence, non-performance or breach of duty to a value in excess of £1 million unless we have made a special arrangement with you at the outset of your matter.
No member or employee of our firm will be liable to you for breach of contract or negligence in their personal capacity.
Other than in respect of liability arising from fraud, personal injury or death, we do not accept liability for claims received more than 12 months from the conclusion of our work or, if not apparent within that time, more than 6 months after it becomes apparent.
Your statutory rights remain unaffected.
Data Protection and General Data Protection
use the information that you provide to us primarily for the provision of legal services to you and for related purposes including:
(a) Updating and enhancing client records;
(b) Analysis to help us manage our practice;
(c) Statutory returns; and
(d) Legal and regulatory compliance.
Our use of that information is subject to your instructions, the Data Protection Act 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation and our duty of confidentiality.
The Data Protection Act 2018 requires us to advise you that your particulars are held on our database and from time to time we may use these details to send you information which we think might be of interest. If you do not wish to receive that information please notify our office in writing. We do not make such information available to any other provider of products or services.
If you are an individual you have the right under the Data Protection Act 2018 to obtain information from us, including a description of the data that we hold about you. Should you have any queries concerning this right please contact our data protection officer Vania Marinello.
Handling your personal data
Compliance
We are committed to high quality legal advice and client care. If you are unhappy about any aspect of the service or about the bill, please contact Vania Marinello so that we can do our best to resolve the problem. If you still have queries or concerns, please contact Vania Marinello who is the client care partner to whom any final issues can be reported.
We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and complaints and redress mechanisms are provided through them and the Legal Ombudsman.
All law firms are obliged to attempt to resolve problems that clients may have with the service provided. It is therefore important that you immediately raise your concerns with us.
If we are unable to resolve any such concerns to your satisfaction within eight weeks you are entitled to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman: www.legalombudsman.org.uk or PO Box 6806 Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ.
The Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints about legal services. Normally complaints need to be made to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving our final written response to your complaint.
Complaints about a client’s rights under the General Data Protection Regulation must be submitted to the Information Commissioner’s Office: ico.org.uk.
Any disputes or legal issues arising from our Client Care and Terms of Business will be determined by the laws of England and Wales and considered exclusively by the English and Welsh courts.
Our Costs
Our fees is not registered to VAT which therefore does not applies to our costs.
Immigration: Our fixed fees professional costs may vary from £1,200 to £2,500 depending on the type of visa application and the hourly rate is £340 per hour. Legal costs include meeting with client, correspondence with client and Home Office, perusing of documentation, drafting the application, revisions and lodging the application to H.O. Please note that VAT is currently not applicable to our fees. Any likely disbursements can be found in the government website at Home Office immigration and nationality fees: 4 October 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and they do not attract VAT.
Fixed Fees scale based on Type of Applications
- OISC Level 1 Basic Immigration applications within the immigration rules: Entry clearance, Leave to enter of remain in the UK, Application for Administrative Review apart from application refused on the basis of credibility or a fundamental issue of the genuineness of documents or relationship, straightforward applications to vary the conditions attached to leave already granted, including conditions attached to bail granted by the Secretary of State.
Fees charged £1,200 plus Home Office Application fee (not covered in the Fixed Fee): See the government website at Home Office immigration and nationality fees: 4 October 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Description of work included in the Fixed Fee: Fixed fee includes: All attendances and written and telephone correspondence with the client and relevant 3rd parties; consideration, preparation and submission of application and relevant supporting documents. Copies of documents and postage. Total £1,200
- OISC Level 1 Basic Immigration applications within the immigration rules: straightforward applications to vary the conditions attached to leave already granted, including conditions attached to bail granted by the Secretary of State.
Fees charged £600 plus Home Office Application fee (not covered in the Fixed Fee): See the government website at Home Office immigration and nationality fees: 4 October 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Description of work included in the Fixed Fee : Fixed fee includes: All attendances and written and telephone correspondence with the client and relevant 3rd parties; consideration, preparation and submission of application and relevant supporting documents. Copies of documents and postage. Total £600
Family, Wills and Probate, Lease contracts: Our hourly rate is £340. Depending on the client we can also offer fixed fees agreements which amount may vary. We are happy to discuss the agreement with the client.Some examples below.
Divorce proceedings: we offer a fixed fee of £1,000 plus court fees of £593;
Financial proceedings: if the parties are in agreement we offer a fixed fee of £1,700 plus court fees of £53 otherwise, we apply our hourly rate of £340 as per above.
Commercial Lease contracts (hospitality): we offer fixed fee agreements from £1,700 to £2,500 depending on the type of deeds are requested and the amount of the annual rent.
Commercial Lease contracts (registration): we offer a fixed fee of £400 plus registration fees which amount may vary.
Probate (UK): in some cases, we can offer fixed fee for our service and the fee is graduated and based of the value of the gross assets we are dealing with from 3% to 5% of the value of the assets with a minimum starting amount of £4,500.
The estates for which we offer a fixed fees agreement are where: there is a valid will; there is no more than one property; there are no more than four bank or building society accounts; there are up to six beneficiaries; there are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of the assets. If there are disputes, this will increase the costs and we will apply our hourly rate; there are no claims made against the estate.
In the other cases, we apply our hourly rate of £340 per hour.
Please note, our fixed fees agreement includes the transfer of the assets to the beneficiary but not the sale of the house or other property which will be charged separately.
Cross border family, probate or commercial matters: depending on the case it may be a percentage of the gross value of the dispute or the value of the estate or the value of the property or a fixed fee. We are happy to discuss it with the client to calibrate a fair agreement. Please also note that Italy applies a specific Tariffario Forense to which clients must refers.
Italian Power of Attorney (Procura Generale o Speciale): As Solicitor of England and Wales we offer a fixed fees of £375 for non urgent apostille application which are available within 3 to 4 weeks depending on FCDO. If a priority apostille is required we offer a fixed fees of £750 and the timescale is reduced to 1 week.
Please note our fixed fees agreement includes delivery of the original legalised procura within the UK. Out or the County delivery will be subject to higher costs.
Declaration of Value: we offer a fixed fees of £200 for non urgent apostille application. Please note this service is available for Manchester and Edinburgh Consulates only. Italian Consulate in London applications require Notary Public declaration we cannot provide.