Orbis Public Law
Orbis Public Law (OPL) is the partnership of Brighton & Hove City Council Legal Services, East Sussex County Council Legal Services and West Sussex County Council Legal Services. Through sharing best practice, joint training and streamlining processes, the partnership increases each Council’s resilience and capacity to support their clients and to provide an even more effective service.
What does Orbis Public Law do?
We undertake Legal work for Brighton & Hove City Council, East Sussex County Council and West Sussex County Council, as well as various other local government organisations and public bodies. Some work may be carried out across the partnership and as such a fee earner employed by one of the other Councils may be allocated to another Council’s matter.
Work is always undertaken by a fee earner (member of the legal team who can charge for work) with suitable experience and with appropriate supervision to ensure the quality of service. Before accepting instructions in relation to a matter, checks are conducted to prevent conflicts of interest occurring. There is also an ongoing requirement to consider whether a conflict of interest has arisen at any time after taking on a matter. Should a conflict be identified, a discussion will take place with the client to determine how it can be dealt with.
Unless it is routine advice work, at the commencement of any new matter, the client will always be informed who will have day to day conduct of their matter, their position and contact details. The client will also be informed who will have overall responsibility for their matter, usually the Principal or Senior Solicitor for the appropriate team.
Each partner Council will ensure that their staff maintain client confidentiality, have regular training so that they are suitably informed on developments in the law, applicable Council policies and practices and all other relevant matters in order to provide the most accurate and up to date legal service possible.
Enquiries
Please note that we cannot provide legal advice or services to members of the public.
If you are an existing client and wish to make an enquiry to Orbis Public Law, please feel free to contact the relevant lawyer directly (if known) or email us at:
Legally qualified staff are available in each partner authority between 9am and 5pm on each working day.
Useful documents
Internal service agreement
Introduction
This document details our terms of business for internal clients, how we manage cases, complaints procedures, regulatory information.
Terms of business
Orbis Public Law (OPL) is the partnership of Brighton and Hove City Council Legal Services, East Sussex County Council Legal Services and West Sussex County Council Legal Services. Through sharing best practice, joint training and streamlining processes, the partnership increases each Council’s resilience and capacity to support their clients and to provide an even more effective service. Some work may be carried out across the partnership and as such a fee earner employed by one of the other Councils may be allocated to another Council’s matter.
Work is always undertaken by a fee earner (member of the legal team who can charge for work) with suitable experience and with appropriate supervision to ensure the quality of service. Before accepting instructions in relation to a matter, checks are conducted to prevent conflicts of interest occurring. There is also an ongoing requirement to consider whether a conflict of interest has arisen at any time after taking on a matter. Should a conflict be identified, a discussion will take place with the client to determine how it can be dealt with.
Unless it is routine advice work, at the commencement of any new matter, the client will always be informed who will have day to day conduct of their matter, their position and contact details. The client will also be informed who will have overall responsibility for their matter, usually the Principal or Senior Solicitor for the appropriate team.
Each partner Council will ensure that their staff maintain client confidentiality, have regular training so that they are suitably informed on developments in the law, applicable Council policies and practices and all other relevant matters in order to provide the most accurate and up to date legal service possible.
Legally qualified staff are available in each partner authority between 9am and 5pm on each working day.
Relationship between OPL partner Councils and Clients
The appropriate partner Council will review your legal needs with you, when you require, so as to assess with you your likely demand for services, in the light of your current and anticipated workload, forthcoming projects, legislative changes etc.
We will represent your interests and commit to give you clear legal advice that you can understand
We will ensure that you understand what you are undertaking (including the risk of success or loss) and the possible costs involved
We will make any reasonable adaptations to meet your needs.
What we expect from you
In order that Legal Services can provide you with the best level of service possible, please ensure:
- any requests for advice or new instructions are sent to your legal services contact.
- new instructions are accompanied by all relevant information and documentation.
- you give an indication of the overall priority of a matter.
- any matters requiring urgent action for whatever reason will be brought to our attention as early as possible.
What you can expect from us
We will ensure:
- requests for advice or new instructions sent are allocated to a specific fee earner within 5 working days
- urgent matters are actioned as required and all other matters are dealt with in accordance with their priority, in consultation with you as necessary
- any telephone messages left for a member of the team will be returned on the same or next day if at all possible
- you are given an update on each active matter at least every 30 working days.
Disbursements (expenses)
There may be additional costs for expenses that we incur on your behalf (disbursements). We will consult with you if and when we need to instruct counsel or experts or make payments such as court fees that require disbursement payments before they are incurred.
Work referred to a third party
In the event that we do not have the capacity to carry out the work needed by you we will discuss with you how this can be provided and funded. This may be carried out on our behalf by external solicitors that we have instructed in accordance with our call off contract.
Retention of files and information
Files will be set up to deal with your instructions the appropriate partner Council electronic case management system. Information you provide to us will be stored confidentially.
Both the hard copy original and an electronic copy of any completed legal documents will be sent to you at the conclusion of a matter, if relevant.
Files will be retained in accordance with the OPL Retention Schedule.
Professional indemnity
Any work undertaken for you by OPL partner Councils will be covered by the completing partner’s policy of professional indemnity insurance. The details of these are held by each partner Council and will be available on request.
Complaint handling procedure
We will strive to achieve continuous service improvements. We operate a complaint handling procedure which ensures that you are informed of whom to approach in the event of any problem with the service provided.
A complaint is any expression of your dissatisfaction, however expressed. Nevertheless, the formal complaints procedure will only be activated when you express a significant cause of concern and put your complaint in writing.
Any complaint or query about individual cases should in the first instance be addressed to the fee earner responsible for the matter in question. If this is not considered to be appropriate the complainant should contact their supervisor. Every attempt will be made to resolve the matter to the complainant’s satisfaction on an informal basis.
Formal complaint
All formal complaints will be addressed in accordance with the complaints’ procedure for the location where the work was completed. A copy of the complaints’ procedure, if not already provided, will be provided on request.
Remedies open to the client
Potential remedies will include:
- An apology and an assurance that steps have been taken so that such a complaint should not arise again.
- The transfer of the file to another fee earner if it appears that the relationship between the client and the fee earner has irretrievably broken down.
Corrective action
Whenever a complaint is substantiated consideration will be given to whether changes in procedures, or further guidance in training of staff or disciplinary action is required.
Regulatory information
Legal Services employs a mixture of solicitors, barristers and legal executives as well as other non-legally qualified staff. All of our employed lawyers are regulated by their applicable professional body. This may be the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Bar Standards Board or CILEx Regulation, respectively. All work is carried out in compliance with Lexcel Standards.
The detailed rules in relation to the regulation of solicitors, barristers and legal executives are contained in their respective Handbooks and Codes of Conduct. These are available on their websites:
- For solicitors: Solicitors Regulation Authority
- For barristers: Bar Standards Board
- For legal executives: Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx)
Reasonable adjustments policy
Each partner council in Orbis Public Law is committed to making such reasonable adjustments as may be requested in the context of the Equality Act 2010, in order to remove or reduce substantial disadvantage for disabled people receiving services. For the purposes of this policy the definition of disability follows that set out in the Equality Act 2010, s6.
This policy does not provide an exhaustive list of the reasonable adjustments that we will make for clients or other visitors. Examples of the types of adjustment that maybe made in appropriate cases are:
- provision of information in alternative formats, such as large print
- provision of auxiliary aids, such as induction loops
- provision of accessible conference room facilities.
Clients may request an adjustment by contacting the allocated lawyer. All requests for reasonable adjustments will be considered on a case by case basis with HR advice if necessary. Where it is not possible to make the adjustment requested a nominated manager will discuss viable options with the client.
Terms of business for external clients
Introduction
This document details our terms of business for external clients, how we manage cases, complaints procedures, regulatory information.
Terms of business
Orbis Public Law is the partnership of Brighton and Hove City Council Legal Services, East Sussex County Council Legal Services and West Sussex County Council Legal Services. Through sharing best practice, joint training and streamlining processes, the partnership increases each Council’s resilience and capacity to support their clients and to provide an even more effective service. Some work may be carried out across the partnership and as such a fee earner employed by one of the other Councils may be allocated to another Council’s matter.
Work is always undertaken by a fee earner (member of the legal team who can charge for work) with suitable experience and with appropriate supervision to ensure the quality of service. Before accepting instructions in relation to a matter, checks are conducted to prevent conflicts of interest occurring. There is also an ongoing requirement to consider whether a conflict of interest has arisen at any time after taking on a matter. Should a conflict be identified, a discussion will take place with the client to determine how it can be dealt with.
Unless it is routine advice work, at the commencement of any new matter, the client will always be informed who will have day to day conduct of their matter, their position and contact details. The client will also be informed who will have overall responsibility for their matter, usually the Principal or Senior Solicitor for the appropriate team.
Each partner Council will ensure that their staff maintain client confidentiality, have regular training so that they are suitably informed on developments in the law, applicable Council policies and practices and all other relevant matters in order to provide the most accurate and up to date legal service possible.
If you wish to make an enquiry of OPL please feel free to make contact with the relevant lawyer directly (if known) or email us:
Legally qualified staff are available in each partner authority between 9am and 5pm on each working day.
Relationship between OPL partner Councils and Clients
The appropriate partner Council will review your legal needs with you, when you require, so as to assess with you your likely demand for services, in the light of your current and anticipated workload, forthcoming projects, legislative changes and so on.
We will represent your interests and commit to give you clear legal advice that you can understand.
We will ensure that you understand what you are undertaking (including the risk of success or loss) and the possible costs involved
We will make any reasonable adaptations to meet your needs.
What we expect from you
In order that Legal Services can provide you with the best level of service possible, please ensure:
- any requests for advice or new instructions are sent to your legal services contact
- new instructions are accompanied by all relevant information and documentation
- you give an indication of the overall priority of a matter
- any matters requiring urgent action for whatever reason will be brought to our attention as early as possible.
What you can expect from us
We will ensure:
- requests for advice or new instructions sent are allocated to a specific fee earner within 5 working days
- urgent matters are actioned as required and all other matters are dealt with in accordance with their priority, in consultation with you as necessary
- any telephone messages left for a member of the team will be returned on the same or next day if at all possible
- you are given an update on each active matter at least every 30 working days.
Disbursements (expenses)
There may be additional costs for expenses that we incur on your behalf (disbursements). We will consult with you if and when we need to instruct counsel or experts or make payments such as court fees that require disbursement payments before they are incurred.
Work referred to a third party
In the event that we do not have the capacity to carry out the work needed by you we will discuss with you how this can be provided and funded. This may be carried out on our behalf by external solicitors that we have instructed in accordance with our call off contract.
Retention of files and information
Files will be set up to deal with your instructions the appropriate partner Council electronic case management system. Information you provide to us will be stored confidentially.
Both the hard copy original and an electronic copy of any completed legal documents will be sent to you at the conclusion of a matter, if relevant.
Files will be retained in accordance with the OPL Retention Schedule.
Professional indemnity
Any work undertaken for you by OPL partner Councils will be covered by the completing partner’s policy of professional indemnity insurance. The details of these are held by each partner Council and will be available on request.
Cancellation of engagement
You have 14 days from the date of the letter accompanying these terms to cancel this engagement without incurring any liability to Legal Services. If during these 14 days you require Legal Services to undertake any work on your behalf this request must be made in writing. By making such a request you are forfeiting your rights under The Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 to cancel this engagement without liability during this period.
You may cease to instruct Legal Services at any time. All work carried out on your behalf until you cease to instruct Legal Services will be billed to you and must be paid for. In the event of bills remaining unpaid, Legal Services may exercise a right of lien over any documents or other property belonging to you which is in its possession. Upon full payment being received, these documents or other property will be released to you.
Complaint handling procedures
We will strive to achieve continuous service improvements. We operate a complaint handling procedure which ensures that you are informed of whom to approach in the event of any problem with the service provided.
A complaint is any expression of your dissatisfaction, however expressed. Nevertheless, the formal complaints procedure will only be activated when you express a significant cause of concern and put your complaint in writing.
Any complaint or query about individual cases should in the first instance be addressed to the fee earner responsible for the matter in question. If this is not considered to be appropriate the complainant should contact their supervisor. Every attempt will be made to resolve the matter to the complainant’s satisfaction on an informal basis.
Formal complaint
All formal complaints will be addressed in accordance with the complaints’ procedure for the location where the work was completed. A copy of the complaints’ procedure, if not already provided, will be provided on request.
Remedies open to the client
Potential remedies will include:
- An apology and an assurance that steps have been taken so that such a complaint should not arise again.
- The transfer of the file to another fee earner if it appears that the relationship between the client and the fee earner has irretrievably broken down.
Corrective action
Whenever a complaint is substantiated consideration will be given to whether changes in procedures, or further guidance in training of staff or disciplinary action is required.
Regulatory information
Legal Services employs a mixture of solicitors, barristers and legal executives as well as other non-legally qualified staff. All of our employed lawyers are regulated by their applicable professional body. This may be the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Bar Standards Board or CILEx Regulation, respectively. All work is carried out in compliance with Lexcel Standards.
The detailed rules in relation to the regulation of solicitors, barristers and legal executives are contained in their respective Handbooks and Codes of Conduct. These are available on their websites:
- For solicitors: Solicitors Regulation Authority
- For barristers: Bar Standards Board
- For legal executives: Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx)
Charging policy
Unless agreed otherwise in advance, each partner Council’s charges are calculated by reference to the time spent by their lawyers, paralegals and trainee solicitors in respect of any work which they do on your behalf. This will include:
- preparation for, attendance at and follow up from meetings
- reading and working on documents, correspondence, including emails
- time spent travelling from the office when this is necessary.
Time spent is calculated and charged in six minute units of time. Except for routine work, and wherever possible, the relevant partner Council shall provide you with an estimate of the time it will take to conclude a matter at its outset. In such cases they will also provide you with information on your available legal options and a cost to benefit analysis of these in any given matter. Once commenced, if a matter then appears to be taking longer than expected, we will inform you as soon as possible and provide you with a revised estimate together with the reasons why this has been necessary.
The hourly rate for you matter will be quoted on your acknowledgement email. These hourly rates have to be reviewed periodically to reflect increases in overhead costs and inflation. Normally the rates are reviewed with effect from 1 April each year.
Various other expenses (disbursements) may arise in respect of a matter, including court fees, experts’ fees, counsels’ fees and so on. We have no obligation to make such payments on your behalf unless you have provided us with funds for that purpose. VAT is also payable on certain expenses. These costs would be agreed with you in advance of being incurred.
Payment arrangements
An invoice for the time spent on your matters will be raised either quarterly or monthly in arrears. We are happy to discuss payments methods and instructions for payment will be included with each invoice.
You have 30 days from the date of each invoice in order to make your payment.