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Summer 2022 11 www.hae.org.uk www.eha.org.uk There are various other costs that the winning party can claim as reimbursements for certain disbursements such as the issue fee, the hearing fee, the expert’s fee, miscellaneous costs for attending a hearing, loss of earnings for a witness or party and travel expenses. But again, on the flipside if you lose you could be the one liable for all those costs comprising your own and those of the defendant. The damage to reputation can also be significant, especially if the losing party is ordered to remedy the disputed situation. That’s why making initial contact with the HAE EHA contract legal helpline can guide members through the maze of potential difficulties when considering court action. Boardroom Matters has been helping businesses deal with issues for a number of years and the legal helpline has already been used by HAE EHA members fighting or preparing cases for the UK courts. RECENT EXAMPLES OF HELP PROVIDED TO MEMBERS Through the contract helpline, Boardroom Matters has provided legal guidance on whether an emailed proforma invoice is legally binding and given advice concerning contractual renewal. It has also guided a member concerning a customer that hired a dumper truck which was subsequently stolen. Legal guidance has been provided on service level agreements, contract enforcement, data sharing and wedding deposits to name but a few of the recent calls handled. The service is free for the first 30 minutes as part of HAE EHA membership and is purely for contract law. Members can then buy further 30-minute units (at £80 per half hour) and, if necessary, the legal helpline can also team members up with a solicitor or barrister who will represent them at any legal hearing or for court representation. The overall aim by HAE EHA is to provide members with a cost- effective legal solution where they can, if they wish, keep costs down by handling the correspondence and County Court claims themselves. For more complex cases requiring court representation, support is available from as little as £275 per hour. However, depending on the case complexity, a lawyer will provide a detailed quotation in advance, based on the requirements of the case. The dedicated telephone number (0121 769 1688) will be answered by the HAE EHA legal team on business days – apart from holiday periods. As previously mentioned, this helpline is to assist members with legal problems from commercial dealings around terms and conditions, breach of contracts, damaged goods and other issues concerning contractual law. LEGAL SUPPORT FOR THE PAPERWORK Run by Boardroom Matters, following the free half hour consultation, the service also allows members to buy further support to assist with legal actions like letter writing, drafting legal documents and data protection support in addition to providing general guidance. Managing Director Paul Gaze said: “We are pleased to have teamed up with Boardroom Matters to provide further support for the membership by giving them a direct hot line to legal advice when contracts and the like have gone wrong.” There are also plans to run a number of seminars later in the year around the correct course of action when in dispute with a customer, whether a consumer or a business. One is likely to be on the tricky matter of which T&Cs take precedence where a person or a supplier has raised a purchase order with a member. All will be revealed at these training sessions which will most likely take the form of webinars. Other informative sessions on a range of legal matters are also planned. << “We are pleased to have teamed up with Boardroom Matters to provide further support for the membership by giving them a direct hot line to legal advice when contracts and the like have gone wrong.” Call the HAE EHA Legal Team on 0121 769 1688