Our last day for Completions is Friday 18^th December.   

We would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas from all at GPM Solicitor.

We are still encouraging telephone and video conferencing with you to avoid the need for you to have to attend our offices but if a face to face meeting is necessary these are the measures in place to re assure you.

• The meeting must be made by prior appointment.
• Only our largest meeting rooms will be available for use and screens have been placed in these rooms.
• Face coverings must be worn when in the offices.
• You will be asked to use the hand sanitiser as soon as you enter the office. If you wish to bring your own sanitiser  for your own use, please feel free to do so.
• You will be asked a short health self-assessment survey before you may enter the interview rooms.
• You will not be able to use any company equipment and will be asked to use your own pens for signing documents.
• Wherever possible, you will not be asked to wait in the reception area but will be shown to a meeting room to wait for your appointment to begin.  If the meeting room is not available, you must wait in your car or outside until you have received a mobile call to come in.
• We hope you understand that staff will not shake your hand.
• You will be directed to use the chairs as arranged to maintain social distancing. 
• There will be no access to other areas other than the interview rooms.
• While measures are in place, we will not be certifying documents for members of the public who are not clients of the company.
• We would prefer not to handle cash and would ask that any payments are made by an alternative method which can be discussed with the person dealing with your matter or with our account’s personnel.
• We would ask that all clients respect the 2 metre rule both in reception and during the interview.
• Please do not hesitate to contact the person who arranged your appointment if there is anything else you would like to ask about the arrangements before your meeting takes place.

Our Oldbury office is now operating a skeleton staff and is closed to the public. Our advanced IT systems allow most of our staff to work from home, just as they would in the office.  No matter where our staff are working, we will continue to provide legal services.  You can expect your emails and phone calls to be responded to as normal, though some delay is to be expected.

It is at the forefront of all our minds to protect people’s welfare.  With this in mind, we have put procedures in place to reduce the need to visit our offices, thereby reducing physical contact and complying with social distancing measures:

– In line with government advice, where possible, we will not be arranging face-to-face meetings and will have meetings over the phone or via online video services such as Facetime or Zoom (our staff will talk to you about the options available).
– Please do call us as usual on +441213184707 to speak to any of our lawyers or support staff who can help.
– We will be responding to your emails as usual.
– As per our usual practice, we will be using postal services to send documentation to you where electronic mail isn’t appropriate.

Providing quality legal services in the Black Country is just as important to us now as it was when the company was founded.  We will all be working together to get through these challenging times.  Rest assured, we will be doing all that we can to support you.

Sue has seen an incredible amount of change over her 50 years with the company and has taken it all in her stride, remaining a steadfast, reliable and indomitable member of staff throughout.

From everyone at RMP , past and present, we thank you, Sue, for your loyalty, support, hard work and friendship.

The biggest ever survey of legal needs in England and Wales has delivered a ringing endorsement of the quality of service provided by solicitors. The Legal Services Board, which co-commissioned the research with the Law Society, has indicated that it will seize on fresh evidence of an ‘access to justice gap’ to pursue its deregulatory agenda.

Based on data collected by YouGov in February and March 2019, the survey collates the perceptions and experiences of 28,633 people. One headline finding is that solicitors score highest for service satisfaction. Nine out of 10 people who had used a solicitor were satisfied with the service they received, while 84% thought the solicitor provided value for money. Respondents who received professional help were also more likely to feel they had a fair outcome (66%, compared to 53% who did not).

Unregulated providers received the worst ratings, with one in five people dissatisfied with the service they received from sources including will-writers and McKenzie Friends.

Overall, two in three people had experienced a legal issue in the previous four-year period surveyed, with most issues (53%) contentious in nature. Most common were issues relating to a professional or defective good/service (26%), anti-social behaviour by neighbours (14%), buying or selling property (11%), wills (11%) and employment (11%).

Older people were more likely to consult a solicitor. Four out of 10 aged 65 or over reported that a solicitor was their main adviser, declining sharply to 26% in the 30-49 bracket and just 18% of those aged 18-29. Younger people are more likely to seek informal help.

All in all the survey seems to us to confirm that timely advice from the best qualified advisers (solicitors) is most likely to lead to an acceptable outcome.

To talk to one of our qualified, experienced and regulated advisors, please call us on 0121 511 2233.

The Directors and staff would like to wish their clients a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.

Sandwell Lions have also started the annual Sleigh runs.  Look out for Santa!