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Pricing & services

Dispute support for businesses and consumers

Businesses often use us on a predictable monthly retainer; consumers and individuals frequently come to us when they are bringing a complaint or dispute against a trader, supplier or other party and want structured help with correspondence, chronology and next steps. We also take clearly scoped one‑off instructions with fees agreed in writing. We are not a law firm; we signpost solicitors when you need reserved services or representation.

  • Monthly rolling retainer
  • Consumer complaints & disputes
  • One‑off scoped projects
  • Equine & equestrian depth

Businesses can take a bespoke dispute resolution retainer built around risk, caseload and sector: a monthly fee on a rolling basis, renewing under agreed terms so you have ongoing help with letters, complaints and escalation rather than negotiating each piece of work from scratch. The package is set out in writing after a scoping conversation—what sits inside the retainer, expected volumes, response times and any fair‑use limits.

Consumers and other individuals often instruct us when they are advancing a complaint or dispute—for example with goods, services, yards, livery or professional standards—and want plain‑English guidance, organised evidence and drafts they can send themselves. That is usually scoped work quoted for the matter, not a monthly retainer. Our consumer resources summarise common themes; pricing for hands‑on help is agreed with you before we start.

Because we are not a firm of solicitors and do not provide reserved legal services, we do not carry the same regulatory overheads as an SRA‑regulated practice. That generally allows us to deliver focused unreserved support at a predictable monthly cost compared with ad hoc solicitor time for comparable work.

Our work is grounded in practical legal training and real‑world experience: we draw on backgrounds in law clinics, Citizens Advice‑style roles and formal legal study, with long‑standing depth in equine and equestrian settings as one of our specialities. That combination is designed to give you documents and options that make sense on the ground as well as on paper, while still being honest about when your matter has reached the point where regulated legal representation is the right next step.

Not every engagement is a retainer. We also offer separate, scoped work—for example a single letter before action, a one‑off complaint pack or another defined piece of support—with scope and fees agreed in writing for that matter.

What sits inside the monthly service

Every engagement is bespoke, but a typical business rolling retainer includes a defined mix of dispute resolution support—for example letters before action, complaint handling, pre‑action correspondence, negotiation framing, chronologies and escalation playbooks—aligned to what you actually face. We review scope as matters evolve; if workload shifts materially, we agree any adjustment to the monthly arrangement in advance rather than surprising you with bolt‑ons.

Letters before action (LBAs)

A letter before action is often the proportionate first formal step when you want to resolve a dispute without immediate court proceedings. It sets out your position, the outcome you seek and a reasonable timetable for response. Where a relevant pre‑action framework applies, your correspondence and follow‑up need to be consistent with that approach so you do not undermine your own position later.

We help you prepare letters that are clear, firm and appropriate to the context—from everyday consumer and supplier disputes through to livery, sales, training fees, yard standards or commercial terms where an equine specialism helps. Where reputation is central—for example, serious allegations made online or to third parties—we can support reputation‑sensitive pre‑action correspondence as part of your overall strategy, always within the scope of what we can offer as a non‑SRA regulated service and with signposting to solicitors where appropriate.

Under a monthly retainer, LBA and follow‑through work is handled within the scope we have agreed. If a matter is unusually heavy—for example multi‑party disputes, extreme urgency or strategy that sits outside the retainer—we discuss an adjustment or a separate schedule so costs stay proportionate to what is at stake.

Complaints: businesses and individuals

If you are a consumer or individual bringing a complaint—to a company, a professional or a trader—we can help you articulate what went wrong, what outcome you seek and how to escalate proportionately, including ombudsman or pre‑action routes where relevant. That work is usually agreed as scoped support for your case, not a business retainer.

Businesses of many kinds benefit from consistent, documented complaints processes: they protect clients, reduce escalation risk and demonstrate seriousness if a matter is later disputed or scrutinised by insurers, regulators or lawyers. We have particular experience with yards, coaches, retailers, vets’ businesses and other equine operators, but the same principles apply more widely. A clear process also helps staff handle difficult conversations more confidently and fairly.

We help you design or refine complaints handling that fits your operation—routes for raising concerns, realistic timescales for acknowledgement and response, escalation paths and records that stand up if someone later challenges how they were treated. We can also support you in responding to individual complaints proportionately, including where emotions run high, social media is involved or the facts are heavily disputed.

For business clients on a monthly rolling service, complaints handling is usually woven into the same bespoke package—policy maintenance, template updates, staff guidance and hands‑on help when a serious complaint lands—so you have a consistent process month to month rather than buying support piecemeal.

Next steps

Tell us whether you are enquiring for a business (retainer or mixed workload) or as an individual with a complaint or dispute, and what you hope to achieve. For retainers we will come back with a bespoke monthly proposal (scope, assumptions and rolling terms). For consumer or one‑off matters we will outline scoped fees for the work you want so you can decide before committing.