Client Charter
1. Whatever legal services we provide, we will:
- Act competently, in a timely way, and in accordance with instructions received and arrangements made.
- Protect and promote your interests and act for you free from compromising influences and loyalties.
- Discuss with you your objectives and how they should best be achieved.
- Provide you with information about the work to be done, who will do it and the way the services will be provided.
- Charge you a fee that is fair and reasonable and let you know how and when you will be billed.
- Give you clear information and advice.
- Protect your privacy and ensure appropriate confidentiality.
- Treat you fairly, respectfully and without discrimination.
- Keep you informed about the work being done and advise you when it is completed.
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Let you know how to make a complaint and deal with any complaint promptly and fairly. The complaints procedure is set out in this document.
The obligations lawyers owe to clients are described in the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008. Those obligations are subject to other overriding duties, including duties to the courts and to the justice system.
If you have any questions please visit www.lawsociety.org.nz or call 0800 261 801.
2. Fees
The basis on which fees will be charged are in accordance with the Reasonable Fee Factors as set out in the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers Conduct and Client Care ) Rules 2008, and included on our Standard Terms of Engagement. Payment of fees is to be made as set out in our Standard Terms of Engagement.
We may deduct from any funds held on your behalf (or on behalf of any entity associated with you) in our trust account any expenses or disbursements and any fees for which we have provided an invoice.
3. Professional Indemnity Insurance
4. Lawyers Fidelity Fund
5. Persons Responsible for the Work
The names and status of the person or persons who will have the general or overall responsibility for the services we provide for you are set out in our engagement letter.
6. Limitations on extent of our Obligations or Liability
Any limitations on the extent of our obligations to you or any limitation or exclusion of liability are set out in our engagement letter
7. Complaints
We maintain a procedure for handling any complaints by clients, designed to ensure that a complaint is dealt with promptly and fairly. This procedure is set out below.
At RSM LAW, we are happy to receive complaints from clients with legitimate grievances as we see this as an opportunity to improve the level of service to our clients.
Should you, the client, be dissatisfied with any aspect of your association with RSM LAW, then you should always feel free to register such dissatisfaction in the appropriate manner as described below.
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The first point of contact for any registration of dissatisfaction with service at RSM LAW is the Complaints Registrar/Practice Manager. Contact details for the Complaints Registrar are:
Direct Dial: (03) 687 9084;
By mail to: PO Box 557, Timaru 7910;
By Email to complaints@rsm.co.nz - On receipt of your complaint the matter will be registered by the Registrar, you will be advised of a tracking number, and an initial investigation undertaken into the circumstances surrounding your complaint. After information has been gathered regarding your matter, the Complaints Registrar and two Partners of the firm will review the file (the two Partners will not include any Partner involved in your file).
- The Complaints Committee may or may not invite you, the client, to attend a meeting to discuss your grievances.
- On completion of a review of the file and discussion of your grievances with you, the Complaints Committee will prepare a report to you of their findings and recommendations for resolution.
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If you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you have the opportunity to escalate your complaint to the New Zealand Law Society through their complaints handling procedures. The Law Society can be contacted at PO Box 565, Christchurch 8140, Ph: (03) 366 9184
8. Privacy Policy:
RSM LAW is committed to respecting and protecting your privacy under the Privacy Act 2020. We collect your personal information to deliver legal services and fulfil our legal obligations, including identity verification under the AML/CFT Act. Providing this information is a legal requirement, if you are unable to do so we may not be able to act for you.
Your information may be accessed by other staff within our office, including secretaries, word processors and accounts personnel, all of whom are required to treat it as strictly confidential. Any breach of confidentiality is treated very seriously. It may be necessary to release information to those outside our office where necessary for your matter, such as barristers, accountants, court staff, and other professional advisers. or where we are required to do so by law – including disclose to regulatory authorities such as the New Zealand Police under the AML/CFT Act. Information will only be shared to the extent necessary. If there is particular information you do not want shared with other staff, please advise your Solicitor.
You are entitled to access any information we hold about you and may request corrections if it is inaccurate. RSM Law will take all reasonable steps to protect your personal information against loss, unauthorised access, misuse, or disclosure without your permission.
9. Collection of information about third parties
In the course of providing legal services, we may collect personal information indirectly, other than from the person themselves. If we do, we are required by Information Privacy Principle 3A (IPP3A) in the Privacy Act 2020 to notify that person that we have collected their personal information indirectly, the purpose it was collected, who may receive it and of their right to access, and correct the information. Although, we will not notify an individual of this if one of the listed exemptions within IPP3A applies.
10. Client Charter:
This Client Charter forms part of our Standard Terms of Engagement.