Terms of Engagement
Settlement agreement legal advice
These Terms of Engagement set out the basis on which Steven Mather, practising through Nexa Law, provides settlement agreement advice. By instructing us, you agree to these terms.
1. Who We Are
- •Qualified solicitor: Steven Mather is a practising solicitor regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
- •Practice: We operate through Nexa Law, a firm supervised by the SRA.
- •Insurance: We hold professional indemnity insurance meeting SRA requirements.
2. Scope of Services
We provide specialist advice on settlement agreements, including:
- ✓Review of your settlement agreement terms
- ✓Analysis of payments, restrictions, and legal implications
- ✓Advice on your options and risks
- ✓Statutory advice required by law
- ✓Professional sign-off and certification of the agreement
Note: Our engagement covers settlement agreement advice only. We don't provide ongoing employment law services, representation in disputes, or advice on matters outside the scope of your settlement.
3. Your Responsibilities as a Client
- •Provide us with accurate, complete information about your circumstances
- •Supply all relevant documents (your agreement, contract, correspondence)
- •Tell us of any time constraints or pressures you're facing
- •Keep us informed of any changes to your situation
- •Act on our advice in a timely manner, or let us know if you're not going to
4. Fees & Charging
Standard Fees: We agree a fixed fee for settlement agreement advice. This will be confirmed in writing before work begins.
Employer Payment: In most cases, your employer's settlement offer includes a clause requiring them to pay your legal fees up to a specified amount. Where this applies, we invoice your employer directly.
Your Responsibility: If your employer's contribution doesn't cover our full fee, or if they won't pay, you're responsible for the difference. We'll confirm the cost to you upfront.
VAT: Our fees are shown exclusive of VAT where applicable. VAT will be added at the standard rate.
Disbursements: There are typically no additional disbursements. We'll let you know if any arise.
5. Payment Terms
- •Payment is due within 14 days of invoice
- •If your employer is paying, we may wait for their payment before signing off
- •If payment is outstanding, we may suspend services until the fee is paid
- •Payment can be made by bank transfer, cheque, or card
6. Our Liability
We provide professional services with the skill and care you'd expect from a qualified solicitor. However, we can't guarantee a particular outcome, and you're responsible for the decisions you make about your settlement agreement.
Professional Indemnity Insurance: Our liability is covered by professional indemnity insurance meeting SRA standards. If you have a complaint about our service, our insurance provides protection.
Limits: Our liability is limited to the extent of any professional indemnity insurance cover we hold, and no liability extends to indirect or consequential losses.
7. Confidentiality & Legal Professional Privilege
Everything you tell us is confidential and protected by legal professional privilege. We won't disclose information to anyone without your permission, except where:
- We're required by law (e.g., money laundering, safeguarding)
- You've given us written consent
- We're required by the SRA or courts
Your agreement and circumstances are strictly private. When we sign off your settlement agreement, we're confirming that we've given you independent legal advice — not advising your employer.
8. Client Files & Records
We keep detailed records of all advice given and documents reviewed. These are retained for a minimum of 6 years from the end of the engagement, as required by the SRA. After this period, records are securely destroyed.
You have the right to request a copy of your file at any time. We'll provide this within 30 days. A charge may apply if the file is substantial.
9. Data Protection
We process your personal data in accordance with UK data protection law (GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018). Your data is used for:
- Providing settlement agreement advice
- Complying with SRA and legal obligations
- Insurance and complaints purposes
See our Privacy Policy for full details of how we handle your data.
10. Complaints & Resolution
If You're Unhappy with Our Service
We're committed to providing excellent service. If you have a complaint, please contact us immediately:
steven@stevenmather.co.uk
0116 366 7900
Formal Complaints
If your complaint isn't resolved informally, you can make a formal complaint to:
Legal Ombudsman
The Legal Ombudsman can investigate complaints about legal services. You can refer your complaint within 6 years of the problem arising (or 3 years of discovering it).
SRA Regulation
You can also report concerns about our practice to the Solicitors Regulation Authority if you believe we've breached professional standards.
11. Ending the Engagement
Either you or we can end this engagement by giving written notice. If you end it before we've completed the advice:
- You're responsible for paying our fees for work done to date
- We'll provide you with all your documents and files
- We may not be able to certify your settlement agreement without completing our full review
If we end the engagement, we'll give you reasonable notice and help you find alternative representation where necessary.
12. Governing Law & Jurisdiction
These terms are governed by English law. Any disputes arising from this engagement will be resolved by the courts of England and Wales, or through the Legal Ombudsman scheme.
13. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms of Engagement from time to time. Changes will be provided to you in writing. For each engagement, the version of these terms current at the start of the engagement applies.
Questions About These Terms?
If you have any questions about our terms of engagement or our services, please get in touch:
Steven Mather
steven@stevenmather.co.uk
0116 366 7900