FAQ
Are you lawyers?
Clifton Davies Consultancy Limited is not a law firm and its business is not authorised or regulated by the SRA. We offer advice and guidance, but not in the capacity of lawyers. As a consequence of this, if you instruct Clifton Davies Consultancy Limited, you would not be engaging the services of David Clifton and/or Suzanne Davies as your lawyers, although you would benefit from their many years of experience in dealing with regulatory and compliance issues. However, you would not be able to raise a complaint with the Legal Ombudsman in the same way that a client of a solicitor can. If you do require specific legal advice from a solicitor on any issue, we will be pleased to refer you to someone whom we consider to have the relevant expertise to advise you and with whom you would be entering into a completely separate contractual relationship. The decision will be yours.
Can you recommend law firms if we need to be represented by a solicitor?
Yes we can. In such circumstances, we will always ensure that the recommendation is suitable for your specific needs and it would be wholly your decision whether to choose that law firm to represent you. In instructing a law firm, you would be entering into a completely separate contractual relationship from your relationship with Clifton Davies Consultancy Limited.
What safeguards are in place to protect the interests of your clients?
We will check to ensure that no conflict of interests prevents us from looking after you. Subject to our terms of business we will regard as wholly confidential all information provided to us by, and advice given by us to, our clients. Clifton Davies Consultancy Limited has professional indemnity insurance in place.
Will you require proof of identity before you can advise us?
Yes. In the case of an individual, we will require you to provide proof of your identity (for example by way of production of your passport) and proof of your current address (for example by way of a recent utility bill). In the case of a corporate client, we will undertake a search to verify the existence of a company and the identity of its shareholders and directors.
Is my correspondence with you confidential?
Yes. Any correspondence between you and Clifton Davies Consultancy Limited will be conducted under the strictest confidence but will not attract legal advice privilege as it is not exchanged between legal adviser and client.
Can someone from Clifton Davies Consultancy Limited represent us in court?
That is a reserved legal activity that can only be undertaken by a solicitor or barrister. However we can recommend a law firm if you need to be represented by a solicitor and, in such circumstances, we will always ensure that the recommendation is suitable for the client’s specific needs. In such circumstances, your contract will be with the law firm rather than with Clifton Davies Consultancy Limited.