Values and Approach
JL Solicitors is founded on the principle of providing a professional premium service at reasonable cost to our clients. Whilst we endeavour to be price competitive with our competition, we do not believe in being the cheapest just to secure work because firms that operate on this basis are likely to compromise their service standards as a result.
Costs
Immigration Law matters: We currently offer a fixed fee initial consultation of upto 1 hour for £60.00 during which we will discuss your needs and assess what we can do to help you. If you then instruct us to act on your behalf then this fee will count towards your overall bill and will not constitute an additional payment. Alternatively, we do offer a free 15 minute consultation but such consultations are naturally limited to very general advice.
Family Law matters: We currently offer a free initial consultation.
We generally charge on an hourly rate basis but appropriate fixed fees may be agreed in suitable circumstances. The issue of costs will be discussed and agreed during the initial consultation.
Tailored service and value for money
At JL Solicitors we understand that all our clients and their needs are unique and offer a bespoke and tailored service to suite their individual requirements. We give honest, accurate, reliable and ethically sound legal advice. We treat clients as the individuals they are and not as just another case.
Why do we charge for immigration initial consultations? Well, our focus is on value for money. To provide a meaningful consultation, we need to spend time with you to discuss your case in detail to understand your circumstances. In contrast, a short free consultation is of limited value because any advice given may not necessarily be accurate, as it would be based on very limited information, and you may not learn very much from it. Our clients have found that immigration firms offering ‘free’ consultations in fact generally charge more for their services than us.
Why do we not charge for family initial consultations? Well, family law is very different from immigration law where in most cases, only general advice can be given at an initial consultation. In contrast, an immigration consultation usually leads to very specific advice being given for which we believe it reasonable to charge for.
Confidential, ethical and moral
Your information benefits from ‘solicitor/client privilege’ which means that everything is strictly private and confidential between you and the firm. Nothing is disclosed to anyone else without your consent unless we are legally obligated to do so (which applies only in limited circumstances).
Issues of professional ethics and morality are considered paramount at all times. This is for your benefit as well as ours to maintain our firm’s professional integrity and reputation.
Therefore out of mutual respect and to avoid embarrassment for both sides, we kindly request that you do not ask us, or behave in a manner that would cause us, to behave or act in a way that would constitute a violation of our professional ethics, morals and legal obligations to you and any relevant third parties.
Open and informative
When we accept someone as a client at JL Solicitors, the name and professional status of the person working on the case is confirmed in writing at the outset together with as much cost information as appropriate, including charging rates if applicable. Cost information is updated regularly and as appropriate.
We act in your best interests at all times and follow your informed instructions precisely within the boundaries of the law. Advice and instructions are always confirmed in writing as soon as practically possible, and regular updates are provided at suitable intervals appropriate to the work involved and at the very least every 6 months.
Efficient and focused
Your case will be conducted as quickly and expediently as possible to achieve a favourable and successful outcome in as short a timescale as possible.