Allocation: The point in proceedings when a judge considers the claim and the defence, decides which track is appropriate for the claim and gives a timetable to bring the case before the court for trial.

Arbitration: An alternative form of dispute resolution using an expert (such as a surveyor) in the role of a judge. The process is similar to court proceedings but is less formal.

Adjudication: An alternative form of dispute resolution using an expert as a decision-maker on a specific matter. It is widely used in construction and technology disputes.

CPR: The Civil Procedure Rules. They govern the way that proceedings in court must be pursued. If they are not followed, the court can make costs orders against you. 

Directions: The timetable of actions set by a judge which needs to be completed by the parties to bring a case to readiness for trial.

Fast Track: A stream of court cases valued over £10,000 and not exceeding £25,000. The trial is limited to a maximum of 1 day.

Litigation: Proceedings in court, including small claims.

Multi-Track: A stream of court cases valued over the fast-track limit or involving complex points of law or evidence and/or requiring more than a 1 day trial.

Part 36 Offer: An offer or settlement made under Part 36 of the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) which, if rejected and later beaten at trial, or if accepted immediately, will carry automatic costs and interest consequences.

Small Claims Track: A court process for claims valued £10,000 and under. Costs are not generally recoverable so engaging a solicitor to act for you may not be cost effective. We offer fixed fee appointments to advise you before you start the process.

Without Prejudice: A way to make offers to settle a case as a whole or any part which cannot be mentioned in court proceedings.

Without prejudice save as to costs: A communication that cannot be referred to in court until the end of the trial, when the court awards legal costs to the successful party.

The sooner the better. We can advise you on any action you can take yourself before it’s too late, and of course this keeps your costs down.

All the documents you have, whether they are contracts, letters or emails. We also need you to bring along documents that identify you and your company for us to copy and hand straight back to you. This is because we are required by law to verify your identification.

This really depends on the type of dispute. Always check first to see if any insurance policies you have include legal expenses cover as these may pay your legal costs. We charge based on the amount of time spent. Each solicitor has a different hourly rate. We provide estimates in advance. We appreciate that small businesses, in particular, have to keep a close eye on cash flow, so fixed fees can be agreed for different stages in a case. We also offer fixed fee debt recovery which has the benefit of a solicitor looking at your case from the very beginning.

We offer fixed fee appointments for clients who just need a steer on the merits of their case before proceeding with matters themselves. This is particularly helpful with small claims (under £10,000) for which costs can normally not be recovered from the other side in the event you win.

Our team covers most types of business and property disputes, including employment. If your dispute is in an area we do not cover we will tell you and point you in the right direction.