Retainer Service
Giving you peace of mind that if you need us, we are on hand
We pride ourselves on understanding the needs of business owners – not just knowing what it is they DO want from their legal counsel, but more importantly what they DON’T (and what they really dislike about lawyers!)
Business owners like you told us three key things; they dislike
1. Uncertainty around costs.
2. The level of costs themselves.
3. A lack of personal touch and speaking in plain English.
At Clearly Business Law, we value ourselves on being clearly different. This means clear pricing and clear advice. We first introduced our retainer service option back in March 2020, recognising that business owners favoured the option to help spread the cost of their legal requirements.
What is the retainer service?
Our retainer service provides you with security that you have a set number of hours of legal advice paid for with our team every month. The number of hours will depend upon the option you choose.
Whether you have quick questions you want answered, or you would like us to review/update legal documents, you have the time there to use. You do not need to worry about receiving an unexpected bill – just pick up the phone and get the clarity you need, exactly when you need it.
As the team at Clearly Business Law is able to offer a wide-range of experience, this means we can offer a number of different retainer service packages. Full details of these are set out below.
We would also be more than happy to create something bespoke for your particular needs, should you feel any of the following options aren’t suitable.
Our introductory retainer service package
Our introductory retainer service provides you with security that you have 1 hour of legal advice paid for with our commercial, team every month. The introductory retainer service covers commercial legal services only.
Our introductory retainer service is just £189 plus VAT per month, based on a 12-month contract.
If you don’t use an hour one month, you can roll it over to next month . Your allotted time will accrue until the end of your 12-month contract and will then expire if not used. The monthly fee is a saving on our usual fees and, most importantly, gives you peace of mind that if you need us, we are on hand.
Our introductory retainer service is available for the first 12 months only. After 12 months you will automatically be moved onto our basic retainer service for a fee of £255 plus VAT per month.
What our introductory (and basic) retainer service package includes:
- general commercial law advice provided on a remote basis during office hours;
- reviewing, negotiating and producing general commercial agreements (with either suppliers or customers) or other related commercial documents on your behalf, such as non-disclosure agreements, standard terms and conditions and marketing agreements;
- advising on and producing the documents required for You to appoint directors (and making the related filings at Companies House);
- initial legal advice on straight-forward disputed contractual matters.
Our enhanced retainer service package
This can cover either:
- commercial advice; or
- employment advice; or
- advice on data matters.
We also support businesses with related areas, including business contracts,share option agreements, company secretarial services, and franchise agreements, depending on your commercial needs.
If you think you might benefit from two or more of the options mentioned above, such as both commercial and employment advice, at Clearly Business Law we can offer you a combined total of 2 or more hours of legal advice paid for with a member of our commercial,employment and/or data teams every month.
Each month you will have 2 or more hours of advice available to you. If you don’t use some of your time one month, it will automatically roll over to next month – until the end of your 12-month term.
Please contact us for further information on our enhanced retainer service.
Would you like to discuss how the retainer service could support your business? Call us or email .
Why we love our retainer service
- We have the opportunity to work with your business on a longer term basis which means we can really get to know you and your business;
- We get to build a close and long-standing working relationship with you;
- We can work akin to your in-house counsel.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the retainer service cost?
It currently costs just £189 plus VAT per month for the introductory retainer service.
Will I save money with the retainer service?
Yes, the monthly retainer fee no matter which option you choose, is a saving on our usual fees.
Can I access advice without the retainer?
Yes, of course. You can still contact us about any concerns or legal issues you have, and we will provide a clear and transparent quotation for the work.
How much advice will I receive each month?
The monthly fee for the introductory retainer service covers 1 hour of legal advice, whether it’s quick questions by email or telephone, or time we’re spending reviewing/negotiating a contract for you.
What happens if I don’t use the hour any given month?
If you don’t use your allocated time each month, it will roll over into the next month. Any unused time will expire at the end of each 12-month period.
What happens if the advice I need one month is more than an hour?
If you have any hours unused from previous months, you can put these toward the advice you need. If you do not have any time ‘banked’ as it were, we will provide a clear and transparent quotation for the work or, subject to prior agreement between us, you can opt to use time from future months.
What happens if I have several hours ‘banked’ – can I have a refund of the time unused?
When you work with Clearly Business Law, you have a team of legal experts at your disposal. We won’t go digging for unnecessary work, but we will be proactive in looking after your needs, to reduce any areas of risk. Check out our free legal health check for yourself – get a personalised report on your business, for free! There are continuous developments in law, and if the last 12 months have shown us anything, businesses need to adapt themselves to the environment around them. We assure you that your money and our time will be spent wisely. We can’t give you a refund as you are already receiving a significant discount on our usual fees.
Am I contracted for a specific length of time?
When you join the retainer service, it is for a minimum term of 12 months. Unless you give us at least 6 month’s prior written notice to cancel, at the end of the 12 months the contract will continue to roll on for a further 12 months.
Is there a termination fee?
No – however our agreement with you is for consecutive 12-month periods. These will continue automatically unless you give us at least 6 months’ written notice prior to the end of a 12-month period.
Will you increase the monthly fee during the 12 month contract?
The monthly fee you agree to at the outset of our arrangement will cover the first 12-month period of our agreement. Like any business, we review our fees regularly so they may increase for future 12-month periods. However, we will give you at least 1 month’s prior written notice of any proposed increase. In these circumstances, provided you let us know before the start of the next 12-month period that you do not wish to continue our arrangement at the increased fee, we will terminate your contract with us at the end of your current 12-month period (and you will not automatically roll into a further 12-month period at the increased monthly retainer fee). Your monthly retainer fee will never increase during a 12-month period.
I have additional questions about your retainer service.
Great! We’re pleased you are interested in finding out more about how our retainer service could benefit you. Simply email info@clearlybusinesslaw.co.uk and we’ll get them answered.