WE DID IT!

At present there are ten firms providing duty solicitor services in police stations and magistrates courts in Sheffield.  There are nine firms providing such services in Doncaster, seven in Rotherham and six in Barnsley.

Last year it was announced that from 2016 duty solicitor services in those four South Yorkshire towns would be provided by only SEVEN “suppliers”, a “supplier” being either a firm or a consortium of up to three firms.

Firms were invited to submit tenders for the supply of such services.  Tenders were invited not only from South Yorkshire firms but from any firm in England and Wales as long as they were prepared to have an office somewhere in the county.

It became known that some of the largest criminal law practitioners in the country intended to submit tenders for South Yorkshire, as well as some of the larger firms in Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley.

At a very early stage we decided we wished to submit a tender but that we would join forces with other firms of broadly similar size in order to do so.

First we approached Quality Solicitors Jordans of Doncaster who were immediately enthusiastic, and together we then approached Howard & Co of Barnsley who readily agreed to join with us in a consortium of the three firms.

For about 18 months we held regular planning/strategy meetings.  As the deadline drew near evenings weekends and holidays were interrupted to draft and re-draft our tender.  Eventually it was submitted and we waited to hear the result.

At 6.39pm on the 15th October 2015 an email was received from the Legal Aid Agency confirming that we had been successful.  We had been selected as one of the “Magnificent Seven” for South Yorkshire!

The other six successful applicants are three national/provincial criminal law specialist firms and three firms based in Sheffield.

How have we achieved membership of such a prestigious group?

Perhaps it was because we were able to refer to a consistently high level of client satisfaction, evidenced by questionnaires returned by clients at the conclusion of their cases.

Perhaps it was because although we have advocates authorised to exercise rights of audience in the Crown Court and beyond, we recognise and utilise the undoubted expertise of the independent bar, having a close and long standing relationship with chambers in Sheffield and elsewhere who regularly provide Barristers to represent our clients in the higher courts.

Perhaps it was because Grainger Appleyard, Quality Solicitors Jordans and Howard & Co are all long established general practices, meaning that clients can receive legal advice and assistance on all manner of legal matters including divorce, conveyancing, wills and probate, landlord and tenant, employment, commercial and agricultural law as well as criminal law.

Perhaps it was because we three consortium firms now have office facilities in Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley, meaning that clients living in or near any of those towns do not need to travel far to consult us.

Or perhaps it was that we demonstrated by the meticulous and thorough preparation of our tender that we can be relied upon to deal meticulously and thoroughly with the needs of clients who instruct us to represent them.

However we achieved membership of the “Magnificent Seven” we look forward to acting for clients old and new throughout South Yorkshire.

Although we have always been, and remain, staunch supporters of the duty solicitor scheme, we still prefer clients to instruct us direct, asking for us by name.  Legal Aid is still available for those who are eligible.

Although our ability to act as Duty Solicitors will be limited to South Yorkshire, we can arrange representation anywhere in England and Wales for clients who instruct us direct.