Where a client contacts you directly, you will need to decide whether to take on the work. You should assess the opportunity. If it looks promising, then you should take it on (with or without help from colleagues) or refer the entire matter to a colleague. You can find suitable colleagues to work with you through the Find Colleagues function of Keyed-In or by asking a member of the Growth and Development Team. Default hourly rates are displayed in all colleagues' Keyed-In profiles. Colleagues are free to adjust their own rates up or down as required. Reduced rates should still be commensurate with the premium brand of the firm, the risk accepted in taking on the business, and the value of the business to the client. Colleagues are also free to increase the rates of others but must have their consent by email to any rate reduction.
Where a matter is being introduced to a colleague, the introducer should share all the relevant knowledge they have regarding the client, including matters such as: urgency, time scale, solvency, speed of payment, requirement for face-to-face meetings, position as regards Costs on Account, fee estimates and/or caps in place, attitude to fees, and general approach. Providing background on the client is especially important for repeat clients and matters already underway. If little is known about the client, as is commonly the case with new clients, then this too should be made clear. While it is the responsibility of the introducer to pass on relevant information to colleagues, it is common with new instructions for the introducer simply to do no more than effect the introduction. If so, so long as the colleague being introduced is agreeable to do so, they should undertake all usual pre-instruction points such as those referred to above. Where an introducer invites a colleague to provide a fee cap or estimate, then this should be provided and adhered to, with assumptions and exclusions as necessary. Work is offered to colleagues and they are free at the point of that offer to decline the work. However, if work is accepted, then the colleague should undertake that work to the best of their ability and afford the client the same care and attention as they afford their own clients.
Keyed-In displays details of the firm's clients and matters on a permissions basis to those working on the matter and the Client Owner. These permissions are granted automatically to all lawyers listed in the New Client Form. Client Owners and Acting Lawyers can add a colleague to the matter by using the Add Lawyer to matter' tool in Keyed-In.