Looking after you, looking after your money

There are three things you need from your solicitor:-

  1. Excellent advice
  2. Excellent service
  3. Excellent protection for your money

You have no doubt considered the first two, but have you ever thought about how safe your money is?  We have. We think about it in everything we do.

Regulation

Firstly, our accounts department makes sure that everything they do is fully compliant with the Solicitors Accounts Rules. These rules are made by our regulator, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and their main purpose is to protect your money.  Under these rules we have to:-

  • keep client money separate from the firm’s money, preventing the use of client money being used for the firm’s business;
  • use only your money for your matter, we must never overdraw your account and “borrow” money from another client;
  • deal with client receipts promptly and keep your records up to date so that we know at all times how much we are holding for you;
  • vet, train and supervise our staff
  • undertake regular client account reconciliations

Cybercrime

What about cybercrime though – we hear so much about this now?

We know that we are a target for fraudsters and criminals.  We employ both technical and manual checks to protect your money.  This includes:-

 

  • Firewalls, anti-virus software, encryption & email filtering
  • Security patch management policy to ensure all our devices are fully maintained and up to date
  • Regular cybercrime training for all staff
  • Multiple checks to verify any bank account details before sending money
  • Strict policies for sending payments, with no one person able to set up and authorise payments

Fraud

 We also have measures in place to protect your money from physical threats by verifying the parties involved in a matter, making checks on ownership and source of funds and ensuring that our instructions are not a consequence of undue influence.

We understand that sometimes it seems we are putting obstacles in the way of you moving to your ideal home or receiving a settlement or legacy, but we make no apologies for the strict protocols we have in place to protect you and your money. We hope you agree.