McAndrew And Company, Stranraer

44 Hanover Street, Stranraer, DG9 7RP

Welcome to McAndrew & Company. Please feel free to explore our site using the menu on the left.

Terms & Conditions:

Quality Service: As an established country legal firm we strive to attain a high quality of legal general practice, while maintaining a friendly 'personal family solicitor' approach. In order to provide a legal service, a whole network of people and facilities are required to support the individual solicitor. There is the office itself, typing, cash room, and clerical staff. An up-to-date library with books and periodicals, professional indemnity insurances and other overheads require to be maintained. A legal service requires to be paid for and we hope that you find our service good value for money.

Free Initial Meeting: We will be happy to have an initial telephone discussion or meeting with you to decide whether we can be of help to you. There will be NO CHARGE for this. If you think you may be eligible for financial assistance under the Legal Advice and Assistance Scheme, please ask.

Instructions: Instructions may be given to us verbally or in writing. We may ask you to confirm verbal instructions in writing. Any changes in your instructions should be notified to us immediately they arise. Please note, we can only accept instructions by email on prior notification. If you have an urgent instruction then do not rely on email. Speak to us. We can only act on the information and instruction that you provide. Please do not assume that we know all about your personal circumstances - we would always rather have too much information than too little.

Money Laundering Regulations: In order to comply with these regulations we will require from you at the first instruction, evidence of your identity in terms satisfactory to us. We cannot act for you without this being produced. If you are funding a particular transaction it is important that you advise us at the outset as to the source of those funds. If during the course of the transaction the source of funds varies that must be disclosed to us for it may require additional Money Laundering investigation.

Charges: Except where otherwise agreed for specific transactions - eg. estate agency work - fees are rendered on the basis of the chargeable time spent in carrying out the work plus other factors specified by the Law Society such as value, urgency and responsibility. If the work involves the court, then fees may be determined by certain court rules. We may issue interim accounts as your case proceeds. If you are to be granted a Legal Aid certificate then you should familiarise yourself with the conditions of that certificate when issued. We will assist you with any queries you have, but you should be aware that the Legal Aid Board can recover fees and outlays from money or property you recover as a result of the action in which you are involved.

Estimate: Any estimate that will be given will be a probable fee based on our experience of the work involved in the typical transaction of the kind you envisage. If the work turns out to be more complicated or takes longer than we anticipated then we may require to increase our estimate in line with this. We will inform you as soon as possible. Sometimes we need confirmation of your ability to fund a transaction, and a deposit will be required.

Accounts: We will issue accounts either at the end of the matter or at regular intervals. Payment is due on presentation of the account. We reserve the right to charge interest on the whole sum overdue, at 4% (four percent) over the Royal Bank of Scotland base rate.

Outlays: Where these are paid by us on your behalf we may require to be reimbursed by you within seven days of you receiving a request for payment of the appropriate sum.

Independent Fee Assessment: The Auditor of Court is always available to provide a completely independent assessment of a fair fee for a piece of legal work carried out. On occasions in order to ensure that a fair fee has been correctly charged, we may voluntarily send the file to the Auditor of Court. Unless agreed with you beforehand, we pay the auditor's fee. Should you at anytime be dissatisfied with the amount of a fee charged by us, then you are entitled to ask us to have the Auditor charge the fee independently. In that case both sides are bound by the fee fixed by the Auditor. If the Auditor reduces the amount of our original fee we will only charge that reduced amount and we will pay the Auditor's fee. If he confirms that our fee is correct or undercharged, then you will be responsible for his fee.

Confidentiality: Information passed to us is kept confidential and will not be disclosed to third parties save as authorised by you or as required by law. Like all Scottish solicitors, we are members of the Law Society of Scotland and subject to its professional rules.

Client Relations: Your comments on our services to you are always welcomed. If you are unhappy about the quality of service provided, or the amount of our fee, then you should, in the first instance, take the matter up with Mr McAndrew, who will ensure that your complaint is fully investigated. If you are still dissatisfied you are always entitled to take the matter up with the Law Society of Scotland whose address is: 26, Drumsheugh Gardens, Edinburgh, EH3 7YR, or the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, The Stamp Office, 10-14 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3EG.

If your particular area of enquiry is not listed, please contact us by:-

McAndrew & Company 44 Hanover Street Stranraer DG9 7RP

Tel: 01776 704324/702495 --- Fax: 01776 704329

E-Mail McAndrew & Company.