Terms of Business - Ahero.UK

---

The following definitions apply in all cases:

• “Terms” shall mean these Terms of Business;
• “us” or “we”   or “our” or “firm” shall mean Ahero.UK (a firm);
• “you” or “your” shall mean our client;
• “Contract”: the agreement between us and you relating to the provision of our services;
• ““Disbursements” any costs or payments that we incur on your behalf in connection with      providing our services, e.g. fees to estate agents, solicitors, barristers or to HMRC.
• “Estimate”: a provisional estimate of our fees, which is not intended to be legally      binding;

 These Terms, and any written amendments that we agree with you shall form the Contract. This Contract will be concluded when we receive your signed copy of of these Terms of Business or your signed Power of Attorney. 

 Ahero.UK is led by  led by a highly qualified professional with over 30 years of experience in architecture, construction, and property matters plus, Graduate Diploma in Law, Post-Graduate Diploma in Law and long working experience [2009-2024] as a Solicitor Advocate of the Senior Courts of England & Wales - specialising in Property Law, Construction Law & Civil Litigation. 

We are working as your consultant in architecture, construction and property matters, or under a power of attorney. We are not working as your solicitor, barrister or legal executive. Our duties shall not include work on matters relating to:

• Tax advice, or
• Financial services regulated by FCA, or
• Reserved legal services regulated by statutory bodies

If you are a company, partnership or other organisation, we may accept instructions from anyone within your organisation unless you have written to us identifying which individuals we are to take instructions from.

When our Contract is with more than one person, unless otherwise agreed in writing, we may:

• Accept instructions from any one of those persons on behalf of all; and 
• Correspond with any one of those persons on behalf of all.

The law requires us to obtain satisfactory evidence of the identity of clients, where relevant, other beneficiaries to a transaction and, in some cases, the source of funds. Our practice is to keep copies of: 

a. Documents to verify your identification and signature e.g. current passport, driving licence, current national identity card. 

b. Documents to verify your address such as gas, electric, council tax or water rates bill, bank or credit card statements – all less than 3 months old. 

If you cannot provide us with the specific identification requested, please contact us as soon as possible to discuss other ways to verify your identity and/or authority to instruct us. 

We are under a professional and legal obligation to keep your affairs confidential. This obligation is however subject to a statutory requirements imposed by the UK regulators or laws, such as if it concerns HM Revenue and Customs, money-laundering, the proceeds of crime and terrorist financing. These requirements can override our usual duty of confidentiality to you. 

Our fees are usually based on the time we spend dealing with your matter but may also be calculated by reference to other criteria, such as the value of any property involved, any skill and specialised knowledge that may have been required, and the degree of urgency.

The amount of time taken is generally valued at an hourly rate for the individual concerned. Time is recorded in six minute units (1/10th of an hour). Our current hourly rates are set out below:

Hourly  fee for work  done by team members with post qualification experience in architecture, engineering, law, construction and/or property professions
A: Lead consultant or team member with Level 8   qualification. [Doctor of Science/ Ph.D.] plus 8 or more years post-qualification work experience:  £300 

B: Consultant or team member with Level 7 qualification.[Master’s degree, post-graduate; NVQ Level   7] plus 6 or more years post-qualification work experience:: £240 

C: Practitioner or team member with Levels 5&6 qualification [Bachelor’s  degree, HND, Level 5&6 NVQ] plus 4 or more years post-qualification work experience: £180 

D: Team member with Levels 3&4 qualification. [Level 3&4 NVQ, Advanced Apprenticeship; A-Levels] plus 2 or more years post-qualification work experience:  £120

Disbursements include court fees, expert fees and barrister’s fees.

In addition to our fees, you shall also pay to us, with VAT if applicable:

• All Disbursements we make or incur on your behalf; 
• The costs of copying and scanning of documents;
• The cost of any foreign telephone calls that we make on your behalf; 
• The cost of all travel and accommodation reasonably incurred by us.

We may require you at any time either to pay us sums in advance (a payment on account) of any Disbursements or costs that we may have to incur, or to make any payments of this sort yourself direct to the provider in question.

We are committed to providing high quality consultancy and client care. However, if there is any aspect of our services that you have received, which you are unhappy about, or if you are unhappy about the bill, please contact fee earner dealing with your or the lead consultant by email at doc@hahero.uk OR by post to Ahero.UK, Claydon House, 1 Edison Road, Aylesbury, Bucks HP19 8TE. We have a procedure in place which details how we handle complaints, which is available on written request. We have eight weeks to consider your complaint and aim to provide an initial response to most complaints within 28 days. You may send your complaint to Office of the Public Guardian, PO Box 16185, Birmingham, B2 2WH or to Trading Standards, or via your local Citizens Advice consumer service.

You may immediately terminate the Contract in writing at any time if you wish us to stop acting for you. We may also cancel the Contract:

• If we have good reason to do so an on giving you reasonable written notice; or
• If we believe there are circumstances that justify an immediate cessation of the work      that we are doing for you; or 
• In the circumstances provided for in other clauses of these Terms.

Circumstances that might justify our ceasing to act for you under the first two bullet points above would include a non-payment of any of our invoices, your failure to make any payment on account or to settle any Disbursements or costs which we have requested, or your failure to give us the instructions that we might reasonably expect in relation to your matter(s). 

In the event that we cancel the Contract and cease acting for you, we shall be entitled to charge you a fee for all the time spent by us up to cancellation, and all the Disbursements and costs we have incurred or may be liable for up to that point in time

By giving us any specific instructions to act on your behalf, requesting services from us as consultant in architecture, construction and/or property, or or as corporate attorney appointed via Special Power of Attorney, General Power of Attorney or Lasting Power of Attorney [property & finance] you confirm that you have read and understood the terms and conditions set out in this Terms of Business. 

You confirm that you agree and accept these terms and conditions and confirm that: 

1. You do understand that there are other ways of getting representation, e.g. by other attorneys, by a solicitor or barrister by other legal practitioner.

2. If you are on income support, low income or some welfare benefits, and in certain cases you may qualify for public funding (legal aid). You are aware that your local Citizens Advice Bureau can provide you with further information. 

3. You are aware of the circumstances in which you are liable to pay our costs.

Any dispute or legal issue arising from our Terms of Business will be determined by the law of England and Wales, and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English and Welsh courts, notwithstanding that you may be based, or our services may be provided to you, elsewhere.