Legal Terms

Terms of Service

The terms and conditions governing our legal services and the use of this website

Last updated: March 2026

1. Introduction

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the website operated by Woolfe and Co Solicitors Ltd ("we", "us", or "our") and the legal services we provide. By accessing our website or instructing us to act on your behalf, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

Please read these Terms carefully before using our website or instructing us to provide legal services.

Important Notice

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Woolfe and Co Solicitors Ltd. By using our services, you confirm that you accept these Terms and that you agree to comply with them.

2. Company Information

Woolfe and Co Solicitors Ltd is a limited company registered in England and Wales under company number 10878165.

Registered Office

16 Titan Court, Laporte Way

Maidenhall, Luton LU4 8EF

Bedfordshire, England

Regulatory Information

SRA Number: 625326

VAT Number: GB 245613414

ICO Registration: 

3. Our Regulatory Status

We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) under the SRA Code of Conduct. Our professional rules and regulations can be found at www.sra.org.uk.

We hold professional indemnity insurance with QBE European Operations plc and others, providing coverage of £3 million per claim, as required by the SRA.

Regulatory Bodies

  • Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) – Primary regulator
  • Law Society of England and Wales – Professional body
  • Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) – Data protection

4. Scope of Our Services

We provide criminal defence legal services, including but not limited to:

  • Police station representation
  • Magistrates' Court advocacy
  • Crown Court representation
  • Youth Court representation
  • Appeals
  • Legal aid and private fee work
  • Prison law matters

The specific scope of our services will be confirmed in our Client Care Letter, which we will provide upon instruction.

5. Client Responsibilities

As our client, you agree to:

1

Provide Accurate Information

Provide us with all relevant information necessary to represent you effectively. Failure to disclose material facts may affect our ability to act in your best interests.

2

Cooperate Fully

Attend all appointments and court hearings as required. Respond promptly to our communications and provide instructions in a timely manner.

3

Pay Fees Promptly

Pay our invoices in accordance with our payment terms. Failure to pay may result in us ceasing to act on your behalf.

4

Notify Us of Changes

Inform us immediately of any changes to your contact details, circumstances, or any matter that may affect your case.

6. Our Rights and Reservations

We reserve the following rights in our sole discretion:

We Reserve the Right To:

  • Decline Instructions – We may decline to accept or continue acting for you for any reason, including conflict of interest, professional considerations, or non-payment.
  • Cease Acting – We may cease to act for you if you fail to follow our advice, provide instructions, or pay our bills. We will give you reasonable notice where possible.
  • Require Payment – We may require payment on account or payment of disbursements before taking further steps on your behalf.
  • Assign Solicitors – We may assign different solicitors to your matter as appropriate, ensuring continued competent representation.
  • Refer to Third Parties – We may refer your matter to counsel or other specialists if necessary for the proper handling of your case.
  • Report Concerns – We have a professional duty to report certain matters to authorities, including suspected money laundering or terrorism offences.

Professional Obligations

As a regulated law firm, we must act in accordance with the SRA Code of Conduct. This may sometimes require us to take actions that are not in your immediate wishes, such as declining to pursue hopeless arguments or reporting serious misconduct.

7. Limitation of Liability

While we endeavour to provide a high standard of service, please note the following limitations:

  • Our liability for any claim arising from our negligence shall not exceed £3 million, being the limit of our professional indemnity insurance
  • We shall not be liable for any loss arising from circumstances beyond our reasonable control
  • We shall not be liable for any advice given by third parties, including counsel or experts instructed by us
  • We shall not be liable for the outcome of any legal proceedings, which depend on many factors outside our control
  • Time limits for bringing claims vary – please consult us immediately if you have concerns

No Exclusion

Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded by law.

8. Fees and Payment

Our fees and billing arrangements will be confirmed in our Client Care Letter. The following general principles apply:

Private Fees

We offer competitive fixed fees for certain services and hourly rates for others. An estimate will be provided at the outset.

Payment is required in advance or at stages agreed with you.

Legal Aid

If you qualify for legal aid, the Legal Aid Agency will pay our fees directly, subject to their assessment.

You may be required to make a contribution towards costs.

Important – Billing Practices

  • Invoices are payable within 14 days of issue
  • We reserve the right to cease work if invoices remain unpaid
  • Interest of 8% per annum may be charged on overdue amounts
  • Debt recovery costs may be added to unpaid invoices
  • Disbursements (e.g., counsel fees, expert reports) must be paid in advance

9. Confidentiality

We treat all communications between us as strictly confidential. Your personal information and details of your case will not be disclosed to any third party without your consent, except:

  • As required by law or regulation
  • To the court or tribunal seised of your case
  • To experts or counsel instructed on your behalf
  • For the purpose of obtaining professional advice
  • In circumstances where you have expressly consented

Professional Duty

Please note that as solicitors, we have a professional duty to maintain confidentiality, but this is not an absolute right. We may be required by law to disclose information in certain circumstances, such as in response to a court order or where we suspect money laundering or terrorism offences.

10. File Retention

We will retain your file for a period of at least 6 years from the conclusion of your matter. After this period, we may destroy your file without further notice.

We reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee for retrieving files from storage and for providing copies of documents.

11. Conflicts of Interest

We will not act for you if there is a conflict of interest. Before accepting your instructions, we will check our records to ensure no conflict exists.

If a conflict arises during the course of our representation, we will notify you immediately and may be required to cease acting for you.

12. Complaints Procedure

We aim to provide a high-quality service at all times. However, if you have a complaint about our services or fees, please follow our complaints procedure:

Our Complaints Process

  1. Informal Resolution – Contact the person dealing with your matter to discuss your concerns
  2. Formal Complaint – Put your complaint in writing to our Complaints Handler
  3. Acknowledge – We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days
  4. Investigation – We will investigate and respond in full within 14 days
  5. Escalation – If unresolved, you may refer to the Legal Ombudsman

Legal Ombudsman

If we cannot resolve your complaint, you may contact the Legal Ombudsman:

Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Phone: 0300 555 0333

Email: [email protected]

You must usually complain to the Legal Ombudsman within 6 months of receiving our final response to your complaint.

13. Website Terms of Use

By accessing and using this website, you agree to the following terms:

Information Only

The content on this website is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. You should not rely on this information without seeking professional legal advice specific to your situation.

No Solicitor-Client Relationship

Using this website or contacting us does not create a solicitor-client relationship. Such a relationship is only formed when we confirm acceptance of your instructions in writing.

Jurisdiction

This website is targeted at users in England and Wales. We make no representation that the information on this website is appropriate or available in other locations.

Intellectual Property

All content on this website is owned by Woolfe and Co Solicitors Ltd. You may not reproduce, distribute, or modify any content without our written consent.

14. Disclaimer

While we endeavour to keep the information on this website up-to-date and accurate, we make no representations, warranties, or guarantees, express or implied, that:

  • The content is complete, accurate, or up-to-date
  • The website will be continuously available
  • Access will be uninterrupted or error-free
  • Any defects will be remedied

No Legal Advice

Information on this website should not be taken as legal advice. Laws change frequently, and the facts of every case are different. Please contact us for specific advice about your situation.

15. Links to Third-Party Websites

This website may contain links to third-party websites. We have no control over the content of linked websites and accept no responsibility for them or for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of them.

The inclusion of links does not imply endorsement or approval of the linked website's content or its operators.

16. Viruses and Hacking

You must not misuse our website by knowingly introducing viruses, trojans, worms, logic bombs, or other material that is malicious or technologically harmful.

You must not attempt to gain unauthorized access to our website, the server on which our website is stored, or any server, computer, or database connected to our website.

By breaching this provision, you may commit a criminal offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. We will report any such breach to the relevant law enforcement authorities and will cooperate with them by disclosing your identity to them.

17. Force Majeure

We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations where such failure or delay results from any cause beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to:

  • Acts of God, flood, drought, earthquake, or other natural disasters
  • Epidemic, pandemic, or public health emergencies
  • War, terrorism, or threat of war
  • Industrial action, strikes, or lockouts
  • Failure of third-party telecommunications or power supply

18. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them or their subject matter shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

The courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms or their subject matter.

19. Entire Agreement

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and us in relation to your use of our website and our provision of legal services, and supersede all previous agreements, representations, and arrangements.

20. Variations

We may revise these Terms at any time by amending this page. Please check this page from time to time to take notice of any changes we made.

Variations to our Client Care Letter will be communicated in writing.

21. Assignment

We may transfer, assign, charge, sub-contract, or otherwise dispose of these Terms or any contract entered into under these Terms without your prior written consent.

You may not transfer, assign, charge, sub-contract, or otherwise dispose of these Terms without our prior written consent.

22. Waiver

If we fail to insist that you perform any of your obligations under these Terms, or if we do not enforce our rights against you, or if we delay in doing so, that will not mean that we have waived our rights against you and will not mean that you do not have to comply with those obligations.

Any waiver by us of any default shall not constitute a waiver of any subsequent default.

23. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision shall be severed, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

Questions About Our Terms?

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us for clarification before instructing us.