Client Care Letters

Contrary to the general belief, there is no need to send a client care letter. Law Society practice rule 15 requires certain information to be given at the outset of the retainer, but it does not stipulate how it is to be disclosed, provided it is in writing. What has happened is that solicitors began to include that information in their first letter to their client. As the requirements expanded, so did the size of the initial letter, which became known as a client care letter. Then it became widely believed that client care letters are mandatory and that they must incorporate all the information required by what is now the Solicitors Costs Information and Client Care Code 1999. They are not and do not. All the code requires is that the stipulated information must be given in writing. If a solicitor wants to give the information in the form of a letter, that is perfectly acceptable. But it does not have to be that way. The solicitor can use a printed brochure or a separate document. It really doesn’t matter – provided it is in writing.