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FitzPatricks is a growing firm
which has long been committed to the highest professional and
management standards.
In 1993 we recognised that clients
had a more sophisticated understanding of what they expected of
Solicitors and also were more willing to complain. As time
spent responding to complaints earned no money, it would be better
to have no complaints at all.
Moving to this target meant a
thorough and continuing examination of all office systems, changing
our culture to one which ensured the needs of clients came first and
foremost and embracing the advantages of IT.
Re-engineering,
as anyone who has been through the process knows, is slow and
painful but worthwhile when done properly. The process is also
inconsistent as there are always upheavals and setbacks on the way
to achievements.
OUR STANDARDS
FitzPatricks has long been committed to the highest management and
professional standards:
In
June 2000 FitzPatricks was successfully reviewed for LEXCEL (The
Law Society Practice Management Standard for Solicitors) and Investors
in People standards both of which were first achieved in May
1999. FitzPatricks also achieved the Legal Aid LAFQAS
standard (although the firm no longer undertakes Legal Aid work) in December 1999. These three
Standards were all achieved at first time of asking. No application
has been made for any other standard as these three are thought
to be sufficient.
FitzPatricks
was the first firm in West Sussex, the second sole practitioner and the joint twentieth firm of solicitors in the
country to achieve the LEXCEL standard, one of the few firms at
that time to have achieved the IIP standard and one
of the very first firms in the country to achieve the LAFQAS standard.
This record indicates a concern for standards at a time when they
were not considered as important as they now are and, moreover,
evidence that the same concern continues and the standards are
maintained.
- "...the
highest professional standards in a difficult situation."
Denzil
Lush, Master of the Court of Protection - Re W (unreported)
- "Exemplary"
Law Society Status Report, 1999
- "Exemplary"
IIP/LEXCEL Assessor's comment, July 2000
OUR MISSION
STATEMENT
What we do
for our clients:
We provide
them with expert and competent advice on legal matters in accordance
with highest standards of professional conduct.
In order to:
Serve
the community and enable our clients to make informed decisions
and keep control of their legal affairs so that we can take effective
action on their behalf.
And so
Promote the name of this firm and its outstanding reputation in
order to attract further business.
And (what that does for ourselves as individuals)
Gives us greater job satisfaction in a rewarding environment.
OUR PERSONNEL
Tom FitzPatrick
- Principal
-
fitz@fitzpatricks-law.co.uk
Admitted as Solicitor March 1963
Employment
-
Assistant Solicitor with Messrs Freshfields, London EC2, Solicitors
- Assistant Solicitor, commercial property and trusts, followed
by a year travelling throughout Asia. He was then Business
Management Trainee with Carreras (Overseas) Ltd with particular
reference to marketing before returning to the Law as an assistant
with Messrs Ellis Wood & Co, Solicitors, London EC4, where
he managed the Burgess Hill office and undertook heavy charitable
negotiations at a high government level. He started FitzPatricks
in 1973.
Specialisations
-
Property - since 1957
-
Commercial and employment - member Lawyers for your Business
-
Elderly Client - member Solicitors for the Elderly Client
-
Wills and Trusts - member STEP
-
Probate - member Law Society Probate Section
-
Charities - member Charity Law Association
-
Practice Management - member Law Society Management Section
Other activities include
Honorary Solicitor/Chairman of/Member of the Management Committee
Burgess Hill Citizens Advice Bureau from about 1976 to
September 2000
Honorary Solicitor Age Concern Burgess Hill from about 1976
to 2003
Founder Burgess Hill 2000
Member of the committee of the Trust for Education in International
Living, a charity based in Malvern, Worcs, for nearly twenty
years until about 1996
Founder Chairman Sussex Solicitors' Sole Practitioners' Group
since 1999
Co-founder, Honorary Solicitor and Deputy Chairman Burgess Hill
and District Credit Union from 1997 to date and member of the
committee of and legal adviser to the South East Forum for Credit
Unions from 1998 to date.
Karen Lloyd
BSC Hons
- Solicitor
Declan Liddy -
Probate Manager
Sylvia Garcia- Conveyancing Executive
Janice Mynard - Legal Secretary
Renee Gibson-Ford- Legal Secretary
Jane Harle -
Legal Secretary
Helen Stone - Probate Assistant
Nicola Terry - Receptionist
Amanda Harrison - Practice Manager
The firm is also
supported by Stella Harris
FCCA - Accountant
A
question taken from our Client Questionnaire
Could
we have done anything to provide you with a better or more
convenient service?
TS& C From Worthing -
We only came to you because of Online. And also
because we live quite far away we found it really useful, and the
service was very good as well. A.B
from Poynings - No, generally considered to be a very good
professional service. J.T
from Burgess Hill -No, everything I wanted to know was covered in
the first consultation without me having to ask too many questions. It was
not rushed either. D.S from
Burgess Hill - None what so ever, excellence in professionalism. S.G
from Haywards Heath - The service was 1st class. calls always
returned and correspondence attended promptly. D.C
from Burgess Hill - No very convenient service.
L.T from Haywards Heath
Thank you
so much for your time yesterday discussing the franchise agreement. Thank
you
so much again.
F.C from London
The Online Service was fantastic
T.W
from Burgess Hill Overall Legal standards excellent
Here are some extracts of letters received by our
Probate Department:- Here are a couple
of extracts from two letters sent to Declan Liddy, Probate Manager
on 17th and 24th January 2008 in relation to the administration of
an estate where no grant was required:- Dear
Mr Liddy I thank you for your letter of 14th
January, 2008 with enclosures.....I enclose a form of approval of
the Estate Accounts. I also return the Client
Satisfaction Questionnaire: you will gather from my answers therein
that I have been very pleased with your services!
Finally I take this opportunity to express my appreciation of the
economical and efficient manner in which you have dealt with the
Estate. Yours sincerely DT -
Burgess Hill Extract of a letter sent to Declan
Liddy, Probate Manager on 7th March 2007 in relation to the
administration of an Estate. Dear Declan
You will be pleased to hear that we have received the final signed
approval of the executors' final accounts....................
We would now like to take the opportunity to say a huge personal
thank you for the sound advice we received. When we started
the journey we envisaged having to pay Inheritance Tax or Capital
Gains Tax - or both - but your input at crucial times saved the
estate quite a bit of money and this was not lost on us as
executors. We also appreciated your very rapid and
considered response to our queries. It was an enormous comfort
to know that we had the FitzPatricks' team behind us.
With many thanks again for your help with this and kind regards.
AA & FA (Executors of the Estate). Extract of a
letter sent to Thomas FitzPatrick and Declan Liddy, Probate Manager
on 3rd November 2007 in relation to the administration of an estate.
Dear Mr FitzPatrick and Declan I am very grateful
to both of you for your diligence, thoroughness and professionalism
in dealing with Miss X's estate. .... Thank you
for all your careful and meticulous work. S.E.
(One of the Executors of the Estate) Letter
sent to Tom FitzPatrick and Declan Liddy on 19th November 2007 in
relation to the administration of an estate.
Dear Tom and Declan Thank you very much for all
your help in settling the affairs of my brother and my mother.
I am pleased it is all completed but generally appreciate all you
have done. All the Best. JE (One
of the Executors of the Estate)
Letter sent to Tom FitzPatrick on 16th December 2006 in relation
to the administration of an estate. Dear Tom
I enclose the paperwork you requested...... More
importantly Tom thank you so much. Firstly for the kindness
and service you provided my parents. They trusted and
respected you. Secondly you know how much mother wanted to
leave as little anxiety and stress as possible for S and me.
You have handled her Estate with great professionalism, courtesy,
care and attention to detail. Everything has been conducted
with respect for her wishes and with as much speed as the agencies
allowed. I know she would praise and thank you too.
I cannot foresee a visit to Sussex Tom but I wish you most sincerely
every happiness and success in the future, both personally and
professionally, starting with a Happy Christmas for you and yours.
Yours sincerely Mr S.G. (Executor of the Estate)
Extract of an e-mail sent to Tom FitzPatrick on 9th December 2006
in relation to the administration of an estate.
Dear Tom Thank you very much for your letter of
4th December 2006 and the clear explanation of the details of
finalising mum's estate. I am very grateful to you for
bringing it all to a close. Thanks again for
dealing with all this so carefully. Mrs S.T.
(Executor of the Estate)
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