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PURE BUSINESS LAW

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                        STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS

 

1.       Introduction 
1.1      Our professional rules of conduct require us to set out the basis on which we, Pure Business Law Ltd (“PBL”) will conduct business with you, the client.  In order to do this, we are required to provide you with: 
(i) A client care letter (also known as a Letter of Engagement or “Engagement Letter”) setting out the services we have agreed to provide for you and confirming your appointment of us; and 
(ii) Our standard terms of business, which provide more detail about the terms on which we provide our services. 
1.2     These two documents are herein referred to as the “Terms” and the Terms constitute the contract between you and Pure Business Law Ltd. Please read both documents carefully and in conjunction with one another. In the event of any conflict between the two documents, the terms of the Letter of Engagement shall take precedence over our standard terms of business. 

1.3     Any references to ‘the firm’, ‘we’ or ‘us’ in the Letter of Engagement or these terms of business is a reference to Pure Business Law Ltd, and where appropriate, refers to our successor firm and all our employees, consultants and directors. 

1.4     Unless we agree otherwise in writing, our standard terms of business apply to any instructions that you give us, including future instructions. Our standard terms and conditions of business may be updated from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes. 

1.5     We ask you to sign and return the ‘Instruction Confirmation’ sheet attached to the letter of engagement before we are able to act for you. By signing it, you agree to be bound by our standard terms of business and the Letter of Engagement. 

1.6     Please note that even if you do not return a signed ‘Instruction Confirmation’ sheet, the fact that you are continuing to instruct us will, in any event, indicate your agreement to be bound by our standard terms of business and the Letter of Engagement. 

2.       Pure Business Law Ltd 
2.1      Pure Business Law Ltd is an Alternative Business Structure (ABS) limited liability law firm. This means that your agreement for the provision of legal services is with Pure Business Law Ltd (10405413). 

2.2     The firms’ registered office and principal place of business is 32 St John's Street, Bedford. Bedfordshire MK42 0DH. 

2.3      We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (“SRA”) in England and Wales. Our SRA number is 635679.  We are bound by the Solicitors’ Code of Conduct which can be found at www.sra.org.uk/rules/.  

2.4      All opinions, advice and services that we provide to you are provided by Pure Business Law Ltd, and all liability is the sole responsibility of the firm. All communications between the directors, employees and agents of the firm are carried out on the firm’s behalf and not in a personal capacity. 

3.       Our Services 
3.1      We are committed to providing you with an effective and personal service that enables us to meet your business needs. In order to develop a long-term legal relationship with you, we aim to get to know your business, your issues and your objectives. 
3.2     We aim to respond to all communications from you as promptly as possible. If the person dealing with your matter is not available, they will provide alternative contact details during any absence. 

3.3      We also expect you to provide us with any information that we ask for promptly. If you know that you will not be available for a period, please advise us. We will also ask you for your contact details so that we can contact you urgently if we need to do so. 
   
3.4      We will treat you with courtesy and respect always. We also ask you to treat our staff with courtesy and respect always. 
     
3.5      Our standard office hours are 8.45am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) and 10.00am to 2.00pm on Saturday. We are also contactable by email and available for meetings during the weekend if you are unable to meet with us during the week.   

4.       Professional Indemnity and Limitation of Liability 
4.1      We carry full worldwide professional indemnity insurance with Endurance Worldwide Insurance Limited, 1st Floor, 2 Minster Court, Mincing Lane, London. EC3R 7BB under policy number P118END1072. 

4.2     By continuing to instruct us, you agree to restrict any single claim that you may have against Pure Business Law Ltd (including our members and staff) to a maximum sum of £3,000,000 (three million pounds’ sterling). This means that in the unlikely event that you should suffer any loss or damage because of any negligent conduct or breach of contract by us, your claim is limited to £3,000,000 (inclusive of interest and costs). 
    
4.3     By continuing to instruct us, you also agree that you will not bring any claims personally against any employee, consultant or member of Pure Business Law Ltd either past, present or future. Please note that under the Contract (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999, all employees, members and directors of Pure Business Law Ltd are entitled to the benefit of this provision. 

4.4     We do not accept any liability to any third party that may use, rely upon or be given access to the advice that we provide to you or any documents that we create created on your behalf. 

4.5      We also do not accept any liability for the acts or omissions of third parties who we may instruct on your behalf or otherwise, or to whom we may refer you. 

4.6    We will also not be liable to you for any losses that you may experience if we are unable to provide our services due to circumstances or events occurring outside of our control. 

5.       Fixed Fees, Hourly Rates and Retainers 
5.1      We operate principally on a fixed fee basis. We also offer optional hourly rates and retainers. VAT will be added where applicable. The Letter of Engagement sets out the agreement we have reached as to the basis of our fees. 
5.2    Any estimate that we have given you as to fees is only a guide and should not be taken as a firm quotation unless we have confirmed an agreed fixed fee to you in writing.

5.3      The fees and costs that we have given you in our Letter of Engagement are based on our experience of the likely cost of dealing with similar matters, or on our best estimate of the likely amount of professional time incurred. Other factors may be taken into account in accordance with the SRA requirements, for instance: value, complexity, importance and urgency. 

5.4      We operate an office and a client deposit account. If we have agreed a fixed fee with you, our Letter of Engagement will include a summary of the information that you have provided us, a detailed description of what we have agreed to do for that fee and on occasion a time-period. In order to provide you with that description, you must give us as much information as possible about what you want us to do. Expenses and disbursements shall be payable in addition to any agreed fixed fee. We require you to pay us the agreed fixed fee prior to any work being undertaken on your behalf. We will not increase our agreed fixed fee for any specified work unless the scope of your instructions change, the information that you have given us is inaccurate and there is no material delay in progressing the matter beyond our control. All monies that we receive from you on the basis of an agreed fixed fee will be placed in our office account. 

5.5      If we have agreed an hourly rate, the hourly rate that we have agreed with you will be set out in the Letter of Engagement. Where we agree an hourly rate, our standard policy is to ask clients to provide sums in advance to cover charges. Where we do so, any payment that you make will be held in our client account. All client money is placed in our client account with Metro Bank PLC. Metro Bank is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The FSCS can pay compensation if a bank is unable to pay claims made against it. The current compensation limit for eligible claimants is £85,000. Money held in our client account will earn interest at the current rate offered by Metro Bank. Unless agreed otherwise, depending on the circumstances and the amount of interest earned, the interest earned on monies deposited in our client account by clients will be paid to the client. Please also note that we are required to keep the money in an account which facilitates transactions, therefore our client account is an instant access account. As a result, any interest that will be earned on the funds is likely to be lower than the interest that would be earned if the funds were deposited in another type of account. 

6.       Charges and Expenses 
6.1      By instructing us you are authorising us to incur such charges that we may consider reasonable and necessary. 

6.2    Disbursements are charges paid to external providers on your behalf and may include: (the following list is not exhaustive) Counsel’s and experts’ fees, travel fees, court fees, courier fees and other allied fees. The firm may, in consultation with you, instruct Counsel for advocacy and specialist advice if we consider it appropriate. Counsels’ fees plus any VAT will be invoiced to you. We will require money on account of Counsels’ fees before Counsel can be instructed. 

6.3     We also charge (as a profit cost as opposed to a disbursement) for photocopying, printing and media production, and money laundering checks. We reserve the right to charge for special bank transaction costs. VAT will be added where applicable. 

6.4  In some circumstances, we may need to revise our costs estimate, for example if there is an increase in court/agency/disbursement/barristers’ fees, your instructions change, or unforeseen or exceptional circumstances arise. We will discuss and agree any proposed variation to the costs with you. If we cannot agree a revised costs figure or you do not want us to continue working for you, we will invoice you for our fee and disbursements to that date. 

6.5     We also require you to provide us with money on account of costs for disbursements incurred on your behalf. 

6.6     Please note that we cannot receive any funds from you either as fees, charges or expenses until we have carried out the necessary identity checks and we are satisfied as to your identity. 

6.7    All payments exceeding £250 must be paid into our bank account. Unfortunately, we cannot accept any cash payments exceeding £250. 

6.8         If a third party undertakes responsibility on your behalf to pay our fees and expenses, and the third party fails to make payment in full for any reason, you will be responsible for paying any and all outstanding sums. 

7.       Warranties, Personal Liability for Invoices and Personal Guarantees 
7.1         Where you, the client, are a limited company, other corporate body or corporation recognized as having a separate and distinct legal personality, the individuals instructing us on behalf of that body, by signing the confirmation of instruction sheet, are warranting that the organization has sufficient funds to meet its commitments to us. 

7.2         Where you, the client, are an unincorporated association or other body without legal personality, the members will all be personally liable for our fees. Notwithstanding this, where we receive instructions from an individual, we will be entitled to assume, without further enquiry, that the individual responsible for those instructions has the authority of the members to give us instructions and agrees, in default of payment by the members or the organisation, to make any payments that are due to us personally. 

7.3         Where we consider it appropriate, we may, as a condition of acting, request a personal guarantee from one or more directors or other individuals instructing us on behalf of a company or association or from the controlling shareholders or beneficial owners. 

8.       Costs Recovery Orders in Litigation 
8.1        You are responsible for payment of our invoices. 

8.2         If, at any stage of the proceedings or at its conclusion, you obtain a costs order in your favour, which requires another person to pay your costs,  you hereby understand and accept that: (a) you will remain responsible for payment of our costs in full regardless of any costs order made against another party; (b) it is highly unlikely that your opponent/any other party will be ordered to pay the full amount of your costs; (c ) the party ordered to pay your costs may not have sufficient assets to pay; (d) that, if your opponent/the paying party is legally aided, it is very unlikely that you will be able to recover any costs; ( e ) we will be entitled to invoice you in respect of our costs which you will have to pay in accordance to our normal payment terms, even though any costs order in your favour has not been paid; (f ) any costs recovered from any other party will initially be applied against any unpaid invoices and charges following which we will pay you the balance; and (g) disputes before tribunals or which are submitted to arbitration or other forms of dispute resolution may involve additional and or irrecoverable costs. 
8.3         You also understand and accept that in the event that you are successful and the costs of the matter are to be paid by the other party, we may be able to claim interest on those costs to be paid from the date on which the order for costs was made. 

8.4         You also understand and accept that if you lose a hearing or the case, the court may order you to pay your opponent’s costs; possibly within a short time frame of 14 days. This would be payable by you in addition to our costs. You also understand and accept that if a settlement cannot be reached regarding the amount of costs payable, the court will assess the receiving party’s costs and will often make a reduction. You understand that you may not recover all your costs. You understand and accept that if you are the receiving party and your costs are reduced on assessment or by agreement, you are still responsible for full payment of our fees. We will discuss with you whether the potential outcomes of your matter justify the risk of litigation and/or the risk of having to pay the costs of another party and your own legal costs. 

 9.       Invoicing Arrangements 
9.1         Where you agree a fixed fee, we shall invoice you for the agreed fixed fees prior to us commencing the works. You understand and accept that we will not commence the work until we have received the agreed fixed fee. 

9.2         Where you agree an hourly rate, we shall ask you to pay some money on account before we commence the work.

9.3         We shall invoice for other fees, costs and disbursements as frequently as we think appropriate. Issues determining the frequency of our invoices will include the nature of the matters on which we have been asked to act, the amount of our un-invoiced fees, the amount of time spent on your matters and the terms of our agreement. Otherwise, we generally invoice our clients for costs and other disbursements on a monthly basis and on completion of the transaction. 
9.4     Payment of our invoices is due on delivery and is not conditional upon any event or outcome. You remain responsible for our fees and costs even if you have an agreement or court order that someone else is to pay your costs. 
9.5         If you are VAT registered either in this country or in Europe, we will require your VAT number. Our VAT number is 265 5386 75. 

9.6         Should you fail to pay any of our invoices, we are entitled to retain your papers and refuse to conduct any further work until such point as our invoices are paid in full. This applies equally whether the matter has come to a conclusion or is only part way through a transaction. 

10.       Assessment of Invoices 
10.    1     If you are not satisfied with our charges, please refer to paragraph 24 below for our complaints procedure. You may also have a right to object to our bill by applying to the court for assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. 

10.2    If you have instructed us to act in relation to court proceedings, which have already been issued or in relation to proceedings before the Lands Tribunal or the Employment Appeal Tribunal, the nature of the work is ‘Contentious Business’. You may apply for assessment of an invoice by the court. You should do so within 1 month of delivery of the invoice (although the Court has power to assess an invoice on our application or yours made after 1 month but within 12 months from the delivery of the invoice). After 12 months, or if you have paid the invoice, the Court will accept your application only in special circumstances. The Court has no jurisdiction under the Solicitors Act 1974 to assess the invoice beyond 12 months after you have paid it. The Solicitors Act 1974 contains other detailed provisions about the procedures and costs of the assessment of invoices and the rights of third parties. 

10.3    A complaint does not avoid liability to pay our invoices and we are entitled to charge interest on the outstanding amount of the invoice in accordance with Article 5 of the Solicitors’ (Non-Contentious Business) Remuneration Order 2009. 

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11.       Interest on Invoices 
11.1    Interest will be charged on unpaid accounts from the invoice date until payment at 4% per annum above National Westminster Bank PLC base rate. We are entitled to retain your files and papers until payment of all sums due to us. 
 
12.       Holding Client Money 
12.1    We hold Client money for a limited period whilst handling your matter and are therefore subject to the Solicitors Accounts Rules governing the holding of such monies. We do not pay interest on such monies. 

13.       Conflict of Interests 
13.1     As far as we are aware, there is no conflict of interest to prevent us from acting for you. We carry out conflict checks on every matter so that if an issue arises, it can be discussed with you and dealt with immediately.  If such a conflict arises, or we become aware of a conflict, we will contact you to discuss this. If a conflict does arise then we may have to cease acting for you. If you become aware of an actual or potential conflict of interest, please raise it with us immediately. 

14.       Joint instructions 
14.1       Where we provide services to two or more persons jointly, each agrees (unless and until specific written notification is given to us to the contrary) that we may rely and act upon the instructions of one only of these persons. If joint instructions are provided to us, all persons instructing us will be jointly and severally liable for our fees. 

14.2        Any action so taken shall bind all persons instructing us. 
15.       Third Party Disclosure 

15.1    Where we are also acting for your proposed lender in a property transaction, we have a duty to provide your lender with all relevant facts about that transaction. This includes any differences between your mortgage application and information we receive during the transaction, any cash back payments or any discount schemes a seller is giving you. 

15.2    We are required to keep your matters confidential. In certain circumstances, we may disclose matters to third parties for audit or other examination authorised under the Solicitors Act 1974, or other statute, or pursuant to a court order. 
 
16.       Communications 
16.1    We will keep you informed of progress on your matter by making regular contact with you or by any other means as agreed with you from time to time. This may include sending you copies of relevant correspondence, or sending you copies of attendance notes of conversations or meetings. 

16.2    As part of managing our client relationships, we may also wish to meet with you (or contact you by telephone) from time to time to review the work that we are doing on your behalf. 

17.       Anti - Money Laundering Rules 
17.1    In order to comply with the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (and any subsequent amendments) all law firms in England and Wales are now subject to stringent regulations concerned with the prevention of money laundering. We are required to identify all new clients, even those introduced by people already known to us. We are also required to renew the identity documents of existing clients every three years. We are obliged to satisfy ourselves that we are not, unwittingly, under any circumstances involved in money laundering. 

17.2    The Money Laundering Legislation is intended to provide a comprehensive system of client identification procedures, record keeping and mandatory reporting.  This means that we must, as solicitors, be satisfied as to your identity and the source of any monies which we receive from you or which will be handled by us through you or on your behalf. 

17.3    We will conduct verification of your identity. To ensure that we meet our obligation to verify your identity, we will additionally request and require you to provide evidence of your identity and address. When acting for a company or other organisation, we will ask for evidence that the person providing instructions has the necessary authority. It is essential that you send us any requested evidence quickly as we will not be able to act for you if we cannot verify your identity and authority. We will retain copes of such identity documentation for at least 5 years. 

17.4    We will also require you to provide evidence of the identity of other connected parties so that we may comply with our obligations under the law. 

17.5    Whilst we are professionally and legally obliged to keep your affairs confidential, if we know or have reason to suspect that a transaction carried on by you or by a connected party may involve money laundering, terrorist financing or any of the other activities prescribed by the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (and any subsequent amendments), we are under a duty to notify the National Crime Agency of our suspicions. You accept as a condition of these Terms that this duty will, in certain circumstances, override our duty of confidentiality. If we make a disclosure in relation to your matter, we may not be able to tell you that a disclosure has been made or alert you that we intend to make such a disclosure. If we were to do so, we would be committing a criminal offence. In such circumstances if we feel that it is appropriate to report the matter to the authorities, we may have to stop work on the matter immediately or be instructed to stop working on your matter by the relevant authorities. You agree to waive any losses that you may sustain in this regard. 

17.6    It is a condition of your retainer with the firm, both in relation to your current instructions and any future instructions, that you assist us as far as you are able, to comply with our duties under the legislation and that you agree to meet all the costs and disbursements incurred thereby. 

17.7    You should not send any funds to us until you have provided us with evidence of your identity. 

17.8    You should not pass our bank account details to any third party without our prior written approval. 

18.       Identification (for Regulatory purposes) 
18.1    The type of identity verification documents we are required to obtain varies. We have listed below some examples of the types of documents and information that we may need to verify identity: 
i.    Individuals        
   Photographic ID such as, a passport or photo card driving license. 
Proof of residence, such as a recent utility bill or bank statement (issued in the past three months) 
ii.    Organizations/Partnerships/Trusts 
Company/charity registration number 
Identity verification documents for (usually two) directors/partners /trustees’ Certificate of Incorporation 
Memorandum/Articles of Association 
Trust deed 
Partnership agreement 
Details of controlling shareholders/beneficial owners/main beneficiaries. 
iii.    For individuals, both resident in the UK and abroad, we may conduct an electronic search to confirm identity. Although we may conduct such an electronic search, we still require a scanned copy or photocopy of a passport or photocard driving license. 
iv.    For UK registered companies, LLPs and charities, in addition to the documents you must provide to us as listed above, we may also obtain verification information from the relevant registration authority; for example, Companies House. 
v.    We reserve the right to charge for any searches required to confirm your identity. 

19.       Data Protection and Electronic Communication 
19.1    We comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and associated legislation. A copy of our Privacy Notice is available on our website and on request. Please note that we use information that you provide to us primarily to provide you with legal services e.g. if we instruct an expert witness or other professional adviser such as a barrister to work with us on your matter, we must send them details of your case and copies of your file papers, including personal reports or other documents.  If you do not consent to disclosure of your file details to an expert, please tell us. 

19.2    We may need to conduct a credit search and a search with fraud prevention agencies which may necessitate a check of the electoral roll. These agencies will provide us with personal data and may make a record of this search. By instructing us, you consent to us undertaking this search and authorising those agencies to provide us with that information.

19.3     We may also use the personal information that you provide us, or which we obtain through our services to you, for related purposes such as administration and record keeping purposes e.g. updating and enhancing our client records, statutory returns, legal and regulatory compliance, billing, collecting our fees and sending you legal information such as: briefing notes, legal updates and invitations to seminars and events. Our use of that information is subject to your instructions, the Data Protection Act 2018, the GDPR and related legislation, our duty of confidentiality and our terms of business. 

19.4    We will communicate with you by post and/or email. However, the post and email are not fully secure. Post or email may be intercepted by third parties and may not always reach the intended recipient. Where necessary, you should follow up all important communications to us with a telephone call, post or a fax. Please advise us if you do not want us to use email when communicating with you. 

19.5    You have a right of access under data protection legislation to the personal data that we hold about you. We may, from time to time, send you information we think might be of interest to you. If you do not wish to receive that information please notify us at our office, in writing. 

19.6    We shall use our reasonable endeavours to ensure that the emails that we send you are free from viruses and any other materials that may harm your computer system. You undertake to do the same with any email that you send to us. 

20.       Copyright 
20.1    As part of your instructions to us, we may draft documents on your behalf. The copyright in such documents belongs to us and will not be transferred to you without an agreement in writing. 

20.2    From time to time, we may use documents created in relation to your matter as a template for later documents (“precedents”). All precedents are stored in paper copy and as part of an electronic system to which all staff have access. Before your documents are stored in this manner, they are amended to ensure that no private or confidential information is disclosed to any third parties. 

21.       Relationships with Third Parties 
21.1     It is sometimes necessary for us to ask parties outside the firm for advice. We will notify you if this occurs and tell you about the advice or information being sought. If you have any preference for a particular third party, please notify us. Whilst we take care in the appointment of third parties, we cannot be responsible for the contents of their reports, advice or their performance.

22    Outsourcing 
22.1    We have arrangements with external service providers which cover a range of services including, but not limited to: secretarial and administration support, credit control, quality control and video/telephone conferencing facilities. Personal data and confidential information that we hold may be passed to the providers. We have confidentiality agreements in place with each of the providers. 

23.       Insurance Mediation 
23.1     We are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and we are not included on the register maintained by the FCA for the advising on, selling and administration of insurance contracts. 

 24.       Complaints 
24.1    We understand that occasionally issues may arise with communication and mistakes can be made. If at any time, you are not happy with the service provided to you or the level of a bill raised by the firm, please discuss it with the person with conduct of your matter. 

24.2    If you feel unable to approach that person, please contact a Director of the firm. A Director may be contacted by telephone on 01234 938057, by email on info@purebusinesslaw.co.uk or by post to your office. The Director will then follow the Complaints Handling Procedure. Please detail the circumstances of your complaint in your letter. Should you wish to receive a copy of our full procedure, please email enquiries@purebusinesslaw.co.uk.  

24.3    If we do not respond to your complaint within 8 weeks, or, if at the conclusion of our complaints process we are unable to resolve matters to your satisfaction, you may have a right to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. If you wish to do so, you must contact the Legal Ombudsman within 6 months of your last contact with us. Additionally, you must have raised your complaint with either us or the Legal Ombudsman within 1 year of the relevant act, or omission or 1 year from the date when you realised there was a cause for complaint. Please note that the Legal Ombudsman may not deal with a complaint about a bill if you have applied to the court for assessment of that bill. 

24.4    You can contact the Legal Ombudsman to make a complaint. This scheme does have its limitations and some corporate clients may not have the right to use this scheme. You can check whether you are eligible to use the service by calling 0300 555 0333 (or +44 121 245 3050 if you are calling from overseas), emailing enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk or by writing to The Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ. Further information can be found at www.legalombudsman.org.uk.  

25.       Storage of Papers and Documents 
25.1    Once a matter is completed, it is the firm’s policy to retain the file in our storage facility for a minimum period of six years after the final invoice is rendered, depending on the type of matter. The file will be kept on the understanding that we have the authority to destroy the file after a minimum period of six years. We will not destroy any documents you ask us to keep in safe custody. If you need any papers to be retained, you must advise us in writing and we will then either ask you to collect the papers or charge you for their continued storage. 

25.2    We also provide a safe custody service in respect of important documents (such as Wills) but we may charge for the service. If we retrieve deeds or documents from storage in relation to continuing or new instructions, we may charge an administration fee to comply with your instructions. 

25.3    If you instruct us to retrieve your file from store on your behalf, you may be charged for this. The amount charged will depend on the urgency of the request. These fees are unlikely to be less than £30 plus VAT and may be more. 

26.       Banks and Other Financial Institutions 
26.1    We are not and shall not be liable to you or to any other person for any loss, cost or liability whatsoever caused by the act, omission, fraud, delay, negligence, insolvency or default of any bank, financial institution, clearing or payments system or of any regulatory, governmental, or supra-national body or authority or of their directors, officers, employees, agents or representatives. 

27.       Tax Avoidance Schemes 
27.1     If you inform us of or if we become aware of a tax avoidance scheme, we may be required by law to notify this to HM Revenue & Customs. In order to comply with our obligations, we reserve the right to notify HMRC if we believe it appropriate. We will not advise you in relation to any course of action which could be regarded as being abusive within the meaning of the Finance Act 2013. 

28    Assignment & Severability 
28.1     You may not assign or transfer any rights and obligations created under this agreement without our prior written consent. 
28.2    If any part of these terms is held to be illegal, invalid or otherwise unenforceable then to the extent necessary, that provision shall be severed and shall be ineffective, but the remaining terms will continue in force and effect. 

29.       Changes to our Business 
29.1    If we merge with another firm or transfer our business to a limited company, a partnership or limited liability partnership (LLP), these arrangements, and all rights and liabilities arising from them, will automatically transfer to the new entity. Where the new entity is a company or LLP, any advice which we give to you after that point will be responsibility of the company or LLP and not that of any individual member, employee or consultant. 

30.       Statutory Right to Cancel 
30.1    The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Changes) Regulations 2013 may apply to your instructions.  If these regulations do apply, you have the right to cancel this contract within 14 days from the date of signing the Confirmation of Instructions without giving us any reason.  To exercise your right to cancel, you must inform us of your decision by letter, fax or e-mail. You may use the Cancellation Form we provide, but you do not have to do so. 

30.2    If you cancel this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you unless you asked us to start work during the cancellation period. 

30.3    Following cancellation, we will make any reimbursement due to you no later than 14 days after the date on which we are informed about your decision to cancel this contract and by using the same means of payment you used to make the initial payment (unless you have expressly agreed otherwise).  You will not incur any fees as a result of the reimbursement. 

30.4    We will not start work during the cancellation period unless you expressly request us to but if you do make such a request during the cancellation period, you will not lose your right to cancel. 

30.5    If, subsequent to making such a request to commence work, you do cancel during the cancellation period, we can charge you for the work we have done on a pro-rata basis.  This will be an amount which is in proportion to the work that has been undertaken up to the date you notified us you wished to cancel, in comparison with the full extent of our instructions. 

30.6    Payment in full will be required if we completed the work, even if you cancel within the cancellation period. 

30.7    By signing the Instructions Confirmation form, you are instructing us to start work during the cancellation period. 

30.8    As explained in clause 9.6 above we can keep your papers and documents whilst you still owe us money for fees and expenses. 

31.       Termination 
31.1    In addition to any statutory rights to terminate set out in clause 30 above, you are entitled at any time to cancel your instructions by providing us with written notice. You may use the Cancellation Form provided for this purpose, but you do not have to do so.  When we receive notice of your decision to cancel, we will stop working on your matter and will raise an invoice for the work carried out to date, unless we have agreed otherwise with you. 

31.2    As explained above, we can keep your papers and documents while there is still money owed to us for fees and expenses. 

31.3    We may decide to stop acting for you only with good reason and upon reasonable notice. A good reason may include a failure by you to provide us with proper instructions, or as explained in clause 9.6 above, a failure to pay our invoices in full. 

32.       Equality Policy 
32.1    Pure Business Law treats all clients equally and does not discriminate on any grounds. If you wish to receive a copy of our diversity policy, please contact Eve Jarrett on 01234 938089. 

32.2    As part of our policy to treat all clients equally, we will make all reasonable adjustments to facilitate access by disabled clients to our services. 

33    Anti-Bribery and Corruption Statement 
33.1     Pure Business Law is a law firm. We operate in the United Kingdom and we pride ourselves on our reputation for acting fairly and ethically wherever we do business. 
33.2 Our reputation is built on our values as a firm and a law firm, the values of our employees and our collective commitment to acting with integrity. 
33.3 We condemn corruption in all its forms. We will not tolerate corruption in our business or in those with whom we do business. 

34.       Governing law and Jurisdiction 
34.1     The Letter of Engagement together, with these Standard Terms of business, form the entirety of the agreement between us and yourself. 
34.2 Any dispute arising out of, or in connection with the documents or their subject matter shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales.  
 
These Terms of Business are effective from 1st January 2024. 
 
 
 
    
 

 

 

 

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