Client Care letter

Question 1

What are the 5 things that you need to include in a client care letter?

Answer 1

1. Confirmation of your client’s instructions and options
2. General information
3. Costs information
4. Explain who will be dealing with their matter
5. Complains

Question 2

What are the 4 things you need to include in confirming your client’s instructions?

Answer 2

1. identification of your client’s objectives
2. an explanation of the issues/options available to them
3. agreement on the next steps
4. agreement on an appropriate level of service/agree how you will keep the client informed of progress

Question 3

What are the two exceptions where can you act in the face of a conflict of interests?

Answer 3

1. Where the clients have a substantially common interest

2. Where the clients are competing for the same objective

Question 4

What’s the definition of the substantially common interest?

Answer 4

A situation where there is a clear common purpose between the clients and a strong consensus on how this is to be achieved.

Question 5

What are the three factors to consider that ‘you are satisfied it is reasonable for you to act for all the clients’?

Answer 5

1. The respective knowledge and bargaining power of the clients.
2. The extent to which there will need to be negotiations between the clients. The more serious any unresolved issues are, the less it is likely to be reasonable for you to act.
3. Any particular benefits to the clients from you acting for both clients - niche, specialist knowledge, speed, convenience or lower cost.