'Gentle Reminder'
This is information from Douglas relating to your 1st Meeting with him
that we have sent you by email (please note that this is a private hyperlink so should not be shared by you with anyone unless they are connected to the meeting):
that we have sent you by email (please note that this is a private hyperlink so should not be shared by you with anyone unless they are connected to the meeting):
Why are you sending me this 'gentle reminder'?
Although we sent you a previous email regarding our forthcoming meeting and that page was a detailed one and tells you what you need to do/bring (which you may wish to read again here), we find it helpful to also send a ‘gentle’ reminder like this before we meet with someone to let them know a little bit more about what will happen at the meeting.
Do I need to confirm my appointment?
We have already sent you a (PayPal) invoice to pay and an information form to complete and send back to us at least 24 hours before our meeting. Please note that we cannot confirm an appointment unless we receive payment in advance (if you cancel an appointment, you will be refunded through PayPal who deduct an administration fee automatically).
If, for any reason, you have decided that you no longer need to see us because of a change in circumstances, please tell us immediately (by telephone please as emails sometimes do not always reach us), at least 24 hours in advance so that we may hopefully be able to offer the appointment to someone else.
What will happen at the meeting?
You may find it helpful if I set out here what will happen:
Do you read my documents during our meeting?
As I said to you previously regarding our meeting, I do not usually read the documents you have brought with you during our meeting (although I may ask to see something such as a Statement of SEN/EHC plan/report/letter). This is because I prefer not to be influenced by what other people may have previously said and prefer to first get the story from you. We will read the documents later. However, you are more than welcome to refer to any documents as we go along.
Will we need to speak about everything that has happened?
Usually, I need a lot of details from you (e.g. names, years etc.) However, it is not a memory test and I will guide you along. It is quite normal to want to speak in detail about certain points but this can sometimes impact counter-productively on the limited time that we have to meet you and some important matters may then not get discussed.
You can be assured that, even though it will be the first time that we have met and I only have some information from you (and have not yet read the documents), I have been doing these kinds of cases for a long time. As unusual as you may feel your case is, I have probably dealt with a similar case before.
Will you tell me there and then if you can help me?
Yes - at the end of the meeting, I will tell you if I think that we can help you and, if so, how. After the meeting, I will then write you to you with a formal letter saying if we can help you and, if so, also enclose a client care letter for you to sign and return if you want to instruct us. The client care letter is a standard letter setting out our terms of business and information which we are required to provide to you as solicitors.
To remind you, our meeting will be a fixed fee/no obligation one. This means that there is no obligation on you to instruct us after our meeting but this also means that there is also no obligation on us to take your case on.
Can you remind me again of what I need to bring?
Of course (I'll do this as bullet points below):
Please remember to bring the two pieces of documentation evidencing both your name and address as is required for money laundering purposes .
I've also put the original email attachments here again below to save you needing to look for my original email:
You may wish to read my original information about '1st Meetings' again here.
I look forward to meeting with you and hope that you have found this 'gentle reminder' helpful.
We look forward to meeting you.
With good wishes
Douglas
Although we sent you a previous email regarding our forthcoming meeting and that page was a detailed one and tells you what you need to do/bring (which you may wish to read again here), we find it helpful to also send a ‘gentle’ reminder like this before we meet with someone to let them know a little bit more about what will happen at the meeting.
Do I need to confirm my appointment?
We have already sent you a (PayPal) invoice to pay and an information form to complete and send back to us at least 24 hours before our meeting. Please note that we cannot confirm an appointment unless we receive payment in advance (if you cancel an appointment, you will be refunded through PayPal who deduct an administration fee automatically).
If, for any reason, you have decided that you no longer need to see us because of a change in circumstances, please tell us immediately (by telephone please as emails sometimes do not always reach us), at least 24 hours in advance so that we may hopefully be able to offer the appointment to someone else.
What will happen at the meeting?
You may find it helpful if I set out here what will happen:
- A 1st Meeting usually lasts for 1-1½ hours. We always advise people to aim to arrive at least 10 to 15 minutes before their meeting, as we know traffic/public transport can sometimes be difficult and, if necessary, you may also need to leave time to find our whereabouts and/or a parking space.
- When you arrive you should go to Reception, who will let us know that you have arrived. You will then be greeted by a member of our team who will bring you into our meeting room.
- You will then meet with me, together with a colleague or two. I usually ask you first to give us a quick summary of why you think you need our help and will then ask you a number of questions about your child’s history/your story, which includes early years/nursery/primary/secondary schooling etc. and exactly what you want.
- I then give you my advice by usually telling you what I think your options are and outlining the different ways in which we may be able to help you. I may also give you information about the costs of instructing us and timescales (although you will have hopefully read information our ‘Menu of Services’ about our costs beforehand). You will then pass to us your bundle of documents (copies please, not originals) to leave with us.
Do you read my documents during our meeting?
As I said to you previously regarding our meeting, I do not usually read the documents you have brought with you during our meeting (although I may ask to see something such as a Statement of SEN/EHC plan/report/letter). This is because I prefer not to be influenced by what other people may have previously said and prefer to first get the story from you. We will read the documents later. However, you are more than welcome to refer to any documents as we go along.
Will we need to speak about everything that has happened?
Usually, I need a lot of details from you (e.g. names, years etc.) However, it is not a memory test and I will guide you along. It is quite normal to want to speak in detail about certain points but this can sometimes impact counter-productively on the limited time that we have to meet you and some important matters may then not get discussed.
You can be assured that, even though it will be the first time that we have met and I only have some information from you (and have not yet read the documents), I have been doing these kinds of cases for a long time. As unusual as you may feel your case is, I have probably dealt with a similar case before.
Will you tell me there and then if you can help me?
Yes - at the end of the meeting, I will tell you if I think that we can help you and, if so, how. After the meeting, I will then write you to you with a formal letter saying if we can help you and, if so, also enclose a client care letter for you to sign and return if you want to instruct us. The client care letter is a standard letter setting out our terms of business and information which we are required to provide to you as solicitors.
To remind you, our meeting will be a fixed fee/no obligation one. This means that there is no obligation on you to instruct us after our meeting but this also means that there is also no obligation on us to take your case on.
Can you remind me again of what I need to bring?
Of course (I'll do this as bullet points below):
Please remember to bring the two pieces of documentation evidencing both your name and address as is required for money laundering purposes .
I've also put the original email attachments here again below to save you needing to look for my original email:
- Information Form (as Microsoft Word template/as PDF version)
- Index/Dividers
- Map
- 'Menu of Services'
You may wish to read my original information about '1st Meetings' again here.
I look forward to meeting with you and hope that you have found this 'gentle reminder' helpful.
We look forward to meeting you.
With good wishes
Douglas
