STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS
These terms and conditions applies to all new retainers opened on or after 02 February 2026, as well as all repeat instructions from existing clients accepted on or after 02 February 2026.
1.0 Status, Regulation and Contractual Relationship
1.1 TMC Solicitors Ltd (“TMC”) is a private limited company incorporated in England and Wales under company number 636580.
1.2 For all regulated legal services, TMC is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (“SRA”) under SRA number 10559300. The SRA Standards and Regulations are available at www.sra.org.uk.
1.3 Your contract for legal services is with TMC. Any work undertaken for you by a director, solicitor, consultant, adviser, caseworker, or employee is carried out on behalf of TMC. No individual assumes any personal duty of care or personal liability to you.
1.4 Unless you notify us in writing to the contrary, we may rely on instructions given by any of your directors, partners, employees, consultants, agents, or professional representatives.
1.5 These Terms and Conditions, together with your Client Care Letter, form the entire agreement between you and TMC. The contract is governed by English law and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction.
2.0 Fees, Charges and Billing
2.1 Hourly Rates and Time Recording
2.1.1 Our professional fees are calculated on an hourly basis unless a fixed fee is expressly agreed in writing.
2.1.2 Standard hourly rates:
- Principal Solicitor: £350 per hour
- Associate Solicitor: £300 per hour
- Assistant Solicitor: £250 per hour
- Trainee Solicitor / Caseworker: £200 per hour
2.1.3 Time is recorded in units of six minutes. Any task lasting less than six minutes is rounded up to one unit.
2.1.4 We will provide an estimate of likely fees at the outset. Estimates are not binding and may be revised.
2.2 Initial Consultation Fee
2.2.1 The initial consultation fee is £300 for up to one hour and is non‑refundable.
2.2.2 At our discretion, we may credit this fee against future professional fees.
2.3 Disbursements and Expenses
You are responsible for all disbursements reasonably incurred, including court fees, Home Office fees, expert fees, counsel’s fees, travel, subsistence, bank charges, courier fees, and document production costs.
2.4 Adjustments to Fees
Fees may be adjusted to reflect urgency, value, complexity, or work undertaken outside normal office hours.
2.5 Fee Limits
You may set a limit on fees to be incurred without your approval. This must be confirmed in writing.
2.6 Fixed Fees and Out‑of‑Hours Work
Where a fixed fee has been agreed, any work carried out outside normal office hours may be charged at £300 per hour.
3.0 Suspension, Termination and Abortive Matters
3.1 We may suspend or terminate our services if:
(a) any invoice is unpaid when due;
(b) a payment on account is not made when requested;
(c) we are professionally or legally obliged to do so; or
(d) your conduct compromises our duty to the court.
3.2 If an Engagement is suspended, terminated, or becomes abortive, we will invoice for all work carried out up to that date and for any additional work required as a consequence. Such invoices are payable immediately.
4.0 Anti‑Money Laundering and Identity Verification
4.1 We are legally required to obtain satisfactory evidence of your identity and, where relevant, the source of funds and sources of wealth. Failure to provide this information may result in termination of our engagement.
4.2 We may verify your identity using third‑party databases. This is not a credit check and will not affect your credit rating.
4.3 If you cannot attend our office, certified copies of identification may be accepted.
4.4 We must retain identity and transaction records for at least five years.
4.5 We may be legally required to make disclosures to the National Crime Agency. In certain circumstances, we may be prohibited from informing you that a disclosure has been made.
4.6 We are not liable for losses arising from compliance with legal or regulatory obligations.
5.0 Confidentiality and Disclosure
5.1 We owe you a duty of confidentiality, subject to statutory, regulatory, and court‑ordered exceptions.
5.2 We may hold confidential information relating to other clients which may be material to your matter. We owe no duty to disclose such information to you.
5.3 Where we hold confidential information about you, we may act for another client with competing interests provided appropriate safeguards are in place.
5.4 You agree that we may disclose your file to regulators, auditors, courts, or other bodies exercising lawful powers.
5.5 If we are compelled to disclose documents or information relating to your matter, we will comply. If privilege may apply, we will notify you where possible.
6.0 Intellectual Property
We retain all copyright and intellectual property rights in materials created by us. You may use such materials within your organisation for the purposes of your matter.
7.0 Liability and Insurance
7.1 We maintain professional indemnity insurance in accordance with SRA requirements, providing a minimum level of cover of £3 million.
7.2 Our total aggregate liability to you shall not exceed £3 million.
7.3 We are not liable for losses arising from your acts or omissions, including failure to provide accurate or complete information.
7.4 Where a third party is partly responsible for a loss, our liability is limited to a fair proportion.
8.0 Equality and Diversity
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity in all dealings with clients, third parties, and employees. A copy of our Equality and Diversity Policy is available on request.
9.0 Consumer Cancellation Rights (Individuals Only)
9.1 This section applies only to individual clients and only to distance or off‑premises contracts.
9.2 You have the right to cancel this agreement within 14 days of receiving your Client Care Letter, without giving any reason.
9.3 We cannot normally begin working on your matter during the 14‑day cooling‑off period unless you expressly request us to do so.
9.4 If you ask us to begin work before the end of the cancellation period, you will be liable for the costs of all work carried out up to the point of cancellation, calculated at our hourly rates. A minimum charge of £750 applies. If funds held on account are insufficient, you must pay the balance.
9.5 If you instruct us to commence work promptly and we begin providing services during the cancellation period, you acknowledge that your right to cancel may be lost once the service has been fully performed.
9.6 The initial consultation fee of £300 is non‑refundable in all circumstances and will be deducted from any payments already made.
9.7 If, following a consultation, you decide not to proceed and cancel before confirming your instructions for us to begin substantive work, you may be entitled to a refund of any payments on account or disbursements, subject to deduction of the non‑refundable consultation fee.
9.8 Any refund due will be issued within 14 days of receiving your cancellation notice, unless special circumstances apply.
9.9 To cancel, you must notify us clearly in writing.
10.0 Force Majeure
We are not liable for any loss, damage, or delay caused by circumstances beyond our reasonable control.
11.0 Judicial Review Costs Arrangement
11.1 A Judicial Review Costs Arrangement may be offered only after a merit assessment has been carried out by a senior solicitor and/or instructed counsel. TMC retains full discretion as to whether such an arrangement is appropriate.
11.2 You remain liable for:
- an initial administrative charge of £500; and
- all court fees and/or Home Office fees.
- Counsel fees
These charges are payable irrespective of the outcome of the matter.
11.3 A positive outcome includes any favourable development in the matter, such as a settlement proposal, reconsideration remedy, or consent order, even if a subsequent refusal is later issued.
11.4 You are responsible for counsel’s fees if the matter proceeds to any hearing. Counsel’s fees are separate from the TMC’s fees and must be paid in accordance with counsel’s terms.
11.5 In Judicial Review matters, clients are ordinarily required to pay a contribution towards our full legal costs. This contribution is separate from disbursements and is not refundable unless expressly stated below.
11.6 Where the Court makes a costs order in your favour, the opposing party may become liable to pay our costs. Such costs are claimed on the basis of our standard hourly rates and may be subject to assessment.
11.7 If our full costs are recovered from the opposing party, the TMC may issue an appropriate refund of your contribution towards those costs.
11.8 Where only a proportion of our costs is recovered, which is generally the case in costs assessment, any refund of your contribution will be made entirely at the TMC’s absolute discretion. TMC may consider issuing a refund that reflects a similar proportion to the costs recovered, but no entitlement to a refund is created.
11.9 If the matter is unsuccessful, you remain liable for the balance of our legal costs incurred. TMC may, at its absolute discretion, waive, reduce, or defer any such costs. No entitlement to a waiver is created.
11.10 Any refund or waiver will only be considered once costs have been agreed or assessed and payment has been received from the opposing party.
11.11 If the matter is unsuccessful, you may also be ordered to pay the opposing party’s legal costs. Any such adverse costs order is your responsibility, and the TMC does not indemnify you against these costs.
12.0 Scope of Work and Limitations
12.1 Our services are limited to the work set out in your Client Care Letter.
12.2 Unless expressly stated, we do not provide tax, financial, investment, accounting, or foreign‑law advice.
12.3 We are not responsible for advising on changes in the law after the matter concludes.
13.0 Client Responsibilities
You agree to:
- provide accurate and timely instructions;
- supply relevant documents promptly;
- respond to requests for information;
- attend appointments and hearings;
- notify us of changes in your circumstances;
- pay invoices and payments on account when due.
We are not liable for losses arising from your failure to comply.
14.0 Electronic Communications and Cyber‑Security
14.1 We communicate primarily by email. While we take reasonable precautions, we cannot guarantee the security of electronic communications.
14.2 You agree to verify bank details by telephone before sending funds.
14.3 We will never notify you of changes to our bank details by email.
We are not liable for losses arising from cyber‑fraud where these precautions are not followed.
15.0 Outsourcing and Third‑Party Providers
We may outsource certain services, including typing, IT support, file storage, advocacy, interpreting, and costs drafting. All outsourced work is subject to confidentiality obligations. We remain responsible for overall supervision.
16.0 Counsel Instruction and Complaints About Counsel
Sometimes we may need to instruct a barrister (“counsel”) to assist with your case. Barristers are independent professionals and are regulated separately from solicitors.
Counsel and their chambers have their own complaints procedures. If you have concerns about counsel’s service, you may raise them with us and we will take the matter up with chambers on your behalf. If you prefer, you may also contact chambers directly.
Because counsel is independent, we are not responsible for their professional conduct or judgment, but we will always take reasonable care when selecting and instructing them.
17.0 Client Money and Interest
Client money is held in accordance with the SRA Accounts Rules. We use reputable UK banks but are not liable for losses arising from bank failure. Interest is paid in accordance with our Interest Policy. Interest under £20 will not be paid.
18.0 File Retention, Storage and Retrieval
We may store your file electronically or in hard copy. Unless otherwise agreed, we will retain your file for six years after the matter concludes, after which it may be securely destroyed. We may charge a reasonable fee for retrieving archived files or providing copies.
19.0 Handling and Return of Original Documents
Where we receive original documents, passports, or decisions from the Home Office, Court, or Tribunal, we will return these to you by standard First-Class Royal Mail. You may request Special Delivery at an additional cost (usually £20–£30). If you choose not to use Special Delivery, TMC is not responsible for any delay, loss, or misdelivery of items sent via standard post, as such items are not tracked.
20.0 Data Protection (Summary)
We process personal data in accordance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Full details are set out in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms by reference.
We will only use your personal data for the purposes of providing legal services, managing your matter, complying with our legal and regulatory obligations, and for legitimate business purposes. We may share your data with third parties where necessary to carry out your instructions, including courts, counsel, experts, interpreters, regulators, and service providers.
21.0 Complaints Procedure (Summary)
We aim to provide a high‑quality service. If you are dissatisfied, you may raise a complaint with the person named in your Client Care Letter. Our full Complaints Procedure is available on our website. If you remain dissatisfied, you may refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within the applicable time limits.
22.0 Joint Clients and Conflicts of Interest
Where we act for more than one client jointly, each client authorises us to take instructions from any one of them. If a conflict arises, we may need to cease acting for one or all clients.
23.0 Third‑Party Rights
No person other than you and TMC has any rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.
24.0 End of Retainer
Our retainer ends when the agreed work is completed or when either party terminates the contract. After the retainer ends, we have no ongoing duty to advise you on future developments, deadlines, or changes in your circumstances. It is your responsibility to ensure that your contact details are kept up to date with all relevant authorities, including (but not limited to) the Home Office, the Courts, and the Tribunal. Failure to do so may result in missed correspondence, deadlines, or adverse decisions for which the TMC is not responsible.
25.0 Interest on Late Payments
We may charge interest on overdue invoices at the statutory rate applicable to commercial debts.
26.0 Effective Date
These Terms and Conditions apply to all new retainers opened on or after 02 February 2026 and all repeat instructions from existing clients on or after that date. Continuing to instruct us after this date constitutes acceptance of these Terms.
Previous versions of our Terms and Conditions are available on our website at: