Along with other professions and occupations, Cheltenham Solicitors do come in for criticism, but in March 2010 the Ministry of Justice has published an independent report into what people feel about their solicitors, which shows outstanding levels of satisfaction.

The key findings include the following:

• 86% said they would recommend their solicitor.
• 91% received a good service (84% agreed with that statement “a lot”).
• 92% felt the solicitor acted in their best interest.
• 92% were satisfied with the outcome.
• 94% were able to deal with a solicitor when they needed to.
• 94% said the solicitor was approachable.
• 95% said the solicitor knew what was going on and acted in a professional manner.
• 96% said the solicitor explained things in a way they could understand.

These are remarkable results, supporting the ideals of approachable,  professional, knowledgeable and experienced solicitors, as well as solicitors who provide a good service and communicate well. We believe these findings apply to solicitors in Cheltenham and solicitors in Gloucestershire as well as nationally.

As one commentator has said “any other trade or profession would kill for satisfaction ratings like these. You would have to be Mahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela to score higher, but of course they were both lawyers as well”.

At times in life when sensitive legal issues need addressing it is best to acquire the services of a team of experienced Cheltenham solicitors, or solicitors from elsewhere in the country. Professional and committed firms such as Davis Gregory for instance, will be regulated by The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), an organisational body that regulates more than 100,000 solicitors in England and Wales. By closely monitoring their members, the SRA ensures their solicitors are offering only the soundest advice and legal knowledge. These exacting requirements are a great way to keep solicitors’ standards high.

Reputable firms will ensure that in the case of an injury claim that the injured party receives 100% of the compensation (unless the claim is to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, or involves an untraceable driver). Experienced solicitors will deliver a professional approach to achieve the maximum compensation possible. Davis Gregory are specialists in road accident claims, for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, as well as offering expertise in work accident claims.

Experienced solicitors in Cheltenham and across the country will also offer a debt recovery service. Working alongside High Court Enforcement Officers where available, this service should be an effective way of securing rapid results for commercial clients. High quality operators will only charge fixed fees to avoid any potential ‘hidden’ costs for clients.

Where sensitivity needs to be high on the agenda, such as in civil disputes, and family and divorce proceedings, the experience of the solicitor used will be of even greater importance. These will be able to offer clear and concise advice – free of jargon – on the strength and likely success of each individual case.

Davis Gregory are experts in complex financial arrangements, such as pension sharing, second families and property transfers, as well as being specialists in non-married couple separations. As a member of Resolution First for Family Law, they therefore seek to ensure a non-confrontational conclusion to these relationships, with solutions that cater to the needs of all parties involved. It is in situations like those listed above that the need for experienced Cheltenham solicitors and those from elsewhere in the country is required the most.

There are other Cheltenham solicitors out there who can serve your requirements, so often it can be difficult to ensure you choose the right one that will be able to fulfil your needs. It makes sense therefore to shop around, and consider a number of key factors that will determine the competence and reliability of a team of solicitors. One of these considerations should be appropriate regulatory authority accreditation – something that Davis Gregory can offer.

They are regulated by The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), who regulates more than 100,000 solicitors across England and Wales. They are the independent regulatory body of the Law Society of England and Wales. By keeping a close eye on their accredited parties, the SRA ensures that members offer the most professional advice and knowledge alongside a commitment to caring customer service.

Services including injury claims, debt recovery, civil disputes, family & divorce proceedings, property matters, wills and bereavements and notaries public will be regulated comprehensively by this authority to ensure that they are in-line with current regulations and appropriate for clients.

The SRA has been particularly keen to promote their Outcomes-Focused Regulatory Requirements Strategy, which delivers clear guidance on the goals that solicitors must achieve for their clients. This has been designed to ensure flexibility among solicitors, rather than providing often unnecessary rules on process and red tape.

Prompt and effective enforcement action is also high on the SRA’s agenda, with inadequate firms quickly dealt with accordingly. This ‘no-nonsense’ approach essentially weeds out solicitors who cannot provide the level of service that their clients deserve.

Achieving the right outcomes for customers is the cornerstone of Davis Gregory’s mission statement. Utilising their professionalism and wealth of experience, this team of  Cheltenham solicitors are able to provide a thorough jargon service that is ‘jargon-free’, who are committed to ensuring your legal requirements are met. Their continued accreditation with the SRA is testament to this.

We cannot stop it falling, but once it settles, should we clear it from our paths, and public pavements? In most situations, the answer is ‘yes’.

The law says that you must take reasonable steps to make sure that visitors to your property are safe. You should therefore try and make your paths safer if you can. If you do this, you have an answer to any claim against you.

With a public pavement, you do not have to clear this, but it is public spirited to do so. So long as you behave sensibly this should not be a problem, so don’t for example pour boiling water on the path which can then freeze and make things worse!

Judges know that “health and safety issues” are used as an excuse for being lazy, and if you are doing your best to be helpful to others, it is unlikely that you will be criticised.

If you have house insurance, then if a personal injury claim is made against you, you simply pass this on to your insurers to deal with – that is what you pay your premiums for.

As The Times said recently ‘The health and safety monster does exist, in the minds of jobsworths, lazybones and buck passers, not in the law. That is the main thing we have learned from the snow’.

Welcome to our website, which has been completely redesigned. I hope you find it easy to navigate. Please let us have feedback, good or bad, by clicking on ‘contact us’.

Thank you to everyone who has asked us to help them in the past, and to our many loyal clients who see us as their specialist Solicitors. We have now been here in Rodney Road for all of 32 years. If you have not used us before, we are confident that you will find that we offer a great service and value for money – please take a look at our testimonials page for how our clients feel about us.

We want to be your Solicitors in dealing with your legal work, whether buying or selling a property, planning for the future, or dealing with life’s problems, such as injuries, family breakdown, or bereavement.

Businesses also have problems, particularly cash flow at the present time. If this is not tackled then the business, its staff, customers and the wider community can all suffer. With this in mind, we have been delighted to welcome recently Tim Wheeler and his team who are specialists in recovering commercial debts and dealing with other disputes, using a firm but fair and cost-effective approach.

We look forward to helping you, and if you are delighted with this, do please recommend us to your family, friends and colleagues.

Tim Howarth

6th May 2009