LEGAL
SUPPORT
LEGAL SUPPORT
Harrison Carter is incorporated as an Alternative Business Structure, we offer support throughout the court process from the inception of the summons notice throughout the process offering full support and guidance from an experienced rating team.
MEDIATION SERVICES
In our experience, there are numerous opportunities usually to mediate and negotiate an amicable solution for both parties. We would therefore throughout the process suggest discussions if applicable saving time and costs.
Provide assistance with assessment of rateable value
Propose how to reduce the rateable value of your property
Implement an alteration to the rateable value of your property
Achieve the removal of your property from the rating list on a permanent basis.
Achieve the removal of your property from the rating list on a temporary basis
Install a split in your property after partitions have been erected or other changes to the floorplan
Negotiate with local authorities both through mediation and the court process if required.
Issue claims to reclaim monies that have been overpaid either in error or due to a revaluation
PRO-BONO
​
Pro Bono Legal Services at Harrison Carter offer clients with limited financial means access to justice.
Providing pro bono legal services is a crucial and integral aspect of the legal profession. It plays a vital role in ensuring that individuals, both within the UK and abroad, who lack the financial means to access legal assistance can still receive the help they need.
​
Pro bono legal services encompass offering legal advice and representation free of charge to individuals, charities, or community groups in the best interests of the public. These services are extended to those who are unable to afford legal assistance and do not have access to legal aid or other means of funding.
​
Key Principles:
-
Clients receive legal services at no cost for the entirety of their case.
-
Legal professionals voluntarily contribute their time and expertise, either individually or as a part of their law firm.
​
We believe the following motivations for Engaging in Pro Bono Work: These stem from the Participation in pro bono legal work and offers several benefits, including:
-
Enhancing job satisfaction: The opportunity to make a meaningful impact on vulnerable individuals' lives can be highly rewarding.
-
Developing legal, advocacy, and leadership skills: Engaging in pro bono cases allows legal professionals to hone their legal expertise and advocacy skills, as well as assume leadership roles in their cases.
-
Expanding communication and interpersonal skills: Pro bono work fosters improved communication and interpersonal skills, essential for effective legal representation.
-
Strengthening morale and building relationships: Collaboration with colleagues on pro bono projects fosters stronger workplace relationships and a shared sense of accomplishment.
-
Expanding professional networks and raising personal profile: Pro bono work provides an avenue to grow professional networks and increase personal visibility within the legal community.
EXCEPTIONAL CASE FUNDING
Section 10 of LASPO (Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012) introduced Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) for non-inquest cases that are not in scope for legal aid. It should be available if your human rights or European Union law rights would be breached if you do not get funding for a lawyer. The question is whether you could present your case effectively and without unfairness if you do not have legal aid. That could be because the case is complicated; because you are less able to deal with it alone; and/or because the case is so important to you that it is not fair for you to manage the case yourself. You will also have to show that your case is strong enough and that you are financially eligible for legal aid.
How does the Exceptional Funding scheme work?
Solicitors are unable to grant exceptional funding themselves, and all applications for ECF must be sent to the Legal Aid Agency. The Legal Aid Agency’s target time for responding to an initial application is 25 working days. The target time for responding to an urgent application is ten working days. If an application for ECF is unsuccessful, you can apply for an internal review of the refusal by submitting grounds of review and supporting documents to the Legal Aid Agency. If the refusal of funding is upheld on the internal review, the only way of bringing a further challenge is by judicial review.
If you need access to legal aid through the ECF scheme, or if you are working with someone who you believe may qualify, please see contact us.
There is some further information on applying for exceptional case funding in the Legal Aid Agency’s provider pack.
SQM 20/0798. LAA Provider 2Q247L
EXEMPTION FROM ABS LICENCE
Harrison Carter being a not-for-profit company are exempt from authorisation by the SRA https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/guidance/business-need-authorised/
This is reflected by the words on the SRA website when searching for H&C that state “Type: Not an SRA-regulated law practice”,
https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/office/608250/h-c-associates
However, the regulation of the company does not in law mean that the company cannot carry out legal services.
This is because firstly because Harrison Carter status is a Not-for-Profit body/company (NfP) as defined by Section 23 of the LSA 2007, which secondly means H&C is authorised as per Section 18 “Authorised persons” of the Legal Services Act 2007 (LSA 2007).
Moreover Harrison Carter employs solicitors with current practising certificates to carry out reserved legal activities, while being able, as a NfP to employ, managers and directors that may not be lawyers, which defines H&C to be considered as per section 72 of the LSA 2007, an Alternative Business Structure (ABS) and is the legal representative as defined by section 18 of the LSA 2007.
The provision of section. 23 of the LSA 2007 allows special bodies (the definition of which includes NfP bodies and trade unions) to continue to carry out reserved legal activities during a transitional period, (the end date of which is not defined by the Lord Chancellor in the LSA 2007), and be exempt from having to obtain an ABS licence.
Notwithstanding the exemption from having to obtain an ABS licence, the legal professionals employed by Harrison Carter, the NfP, will continue to be individually regulated by their regulator.ie. the Institute of Paralegals, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and the Bar Council to name a few, as prior to the LSA 2007 coming into force.