Powell Gilbert LLP (“we”, “our”, “us”) uses cookies on our website powellgilbert.com. This Cookies Policy explains what cookies are, how we use them, and how you can manage your preferences.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device by websites you visit. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently, as well as to provide information to the site owners. Some cookies are strictly necessary, while others help us improve the site by providing insights into how it is being used.
How we use cookies
Our website uses Cookiebot by Usercentrics to manage cookie consent and control which cookies are set.
The categories of cookies used on our site are:
● Necessary cookies – Required for the website to function and cannot be switched off.
● Preferences cookies – Enable the website to remember information that changes the way it behaves or looks.
● Statistics cookies – Help us understand how visitors interact with the website by collecting and reporting information anonymously.
● Marketing cookies – Used to track visitors across websites to display relevant advertising.
We use Google Analytics (configured with IP anonymisation) to collect statistical information about how our website is used. This data cannot be used to personally identify visitors.
Your consent choices
When you first visit our site, you are asked to choose your cookie preferences. You can accept all, deny all, or customise your settings by category. You can change or withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the cookie icon displayed in the bottom-left corner of the website.
Managing cookies in your browser
You can also control and delete cookies through your browser settings. Please note that restricting cookies may impact the functionality of our website.
Further information
To learn more about who we are, how you can contact us, and how we process personal data, please see our Privacy Policy.
If you have any comments or concerns about how a matter is being handled, our bills, or any other aspect of our service, please raise the matter with the partner in overall charge of the relevant matter, or if you prefer or you are unhappy with our initial response to your concern, with Penny Gilbert via phone on +44 (0)20 3040 8020, via email penny.gilbert@powellgilbert.com, or by post to our office. We have a procedure in place which details how we handle complaints, a copy of which is available on request. You can also contact our regulator, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), Visit their website . A copy of the SRA Code of Conduct can be found at www.sra.org.uk.
If for any reason we are unable to resolve the problem between us, you may be entitled to have your complaint considered by the Legal Ombudsman (see www.legalombudsman.org.uk for more information on who is entitled to make use of this service). Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must normally be made within six months of the date of our final written response on your complaint but, for further information, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333 or at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.
If your concern relates to a bill we have submitted, you may be able to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman; and/or by applying to the court for an assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors’ Act 1974. However, please note that the Legal Ombudsman may not consider a complaint about a bill if you have applied to the court for an assessment. If all or part of the bill remains unpaid during the complaints procedure, we reserve the right to charge interest as set out above.
We are committed to understanding and achieving our clients’ business objectives and any suggestions as to how we can improve our service are welcomed.
If you have any comments or concerns about how a matter is being handled, our bills, or any other aspect of our service, please raise the matter with the partner in overall charge of the relevant matter, or if you prefer or you are unhappy with our initial response to your concern, with Penny Gilbert via phone on +44 (0)20 3040 8020, via email penny.gilbert@powellgilbert.com, or by post to our office. We have a procedure in place which details how we handle complaints, a copy of which is available on request.
If for any reason we are unable to resolve the problem between us, you may be entitled to make a complaint to the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (see www.lsra.ie for more information).
If your concern relates to a bill we have submitted, you may be able to make a complaint to the Legal Services Regulatory Authority; and/or by applying to a Legal Costs Adjudicator for an assessment of the bill under Legal Services Regulation Act 2015.
We are committed to understanding and achieving our clients’ business objectives and any suggestions as to how we can improve our service are welcomed.
As part of carrying out your instructions to us, we may need to hold your money in our client account. In holding client money, we have an obligation to pay interest on that money at a fair and reasonable rate and are required to put in place an interest policy; this policy sets out the guidelines for when interest will be paid.
We aim to account to you for interest at a reasonable rate, but in most cases we must ensure that money held on our client account is immediately available. Accordingly, the rate is unlikely to be as high as the rate you may be able to obtain elsewhere.
We align our interest rates paid on client funds to the rates paid on an instant access Coutts Clients’ Reserve Account. This rate is likely to change from time to time.
We confirm that we do not hold client funds in any other institution than with our bank.
Where your money is held on our general client account, or in a separate designated deposit account, any interest paid to you is paid without any deduction for income tax. As such it is your responsibility to inform HMRC, or such other relevant tax a uthority, of amounts of interest received from us, and the implications of this will depend upon your own financial circumstances. The same rate of interest will be paid on money held in general client account as will be paid on money held in a separate designated deposit account.
Interest will be calculated from the time the funds become cleared for interest purposes. On cheques or banker’s drafts this will be three 3 days after the cheque or draft has been deposited with our bank. For direct transfers or same day payments the funds become cleared on the day after receipt.
Interest will be calculated separately for each matter where we are instructed.
Interest will not be paid if the total amount calculated for the period that cleared funds are held is less than £50.00.
Interest will be calculated at the end of each financial year or at the end of the matter, whichever is first, and we will credit the client ledger at that time.
© Powell Gilbert LLP July 2023
