Referral disclosure
We want you to understand exactly how Keyfolio works and how we are paid.
How we are paid
You do not pay Keyfolio anything directly. Law firms on our panel pay us under written agreements: a referral fee for each matter, paid only when the matter completes, not when the client is referred, so no referral fee is paid for a matter that does not complete, and, where a firm's agreement includes one, a monthly panel fee. The firm pays these out of the fees it charges, so they are not an extra item on your bill. Before you instruct a firm, your quote page shows its name, exactly what it pays us for your matter and any panel or sponsorship fee it pays however many clients it takes through us.
Partners who introduce you
If an estate agent, mortgage broker or other partner introduced you, we may pay that partner a fee when your matter proceeds. Your quote says when a partner introduction applies and what the partner is paid. A partner may tell us which law firm you asked for; we only pass your matter to that firm if it can take it, and you can still choose another firm.
How we choose a firm for you
When you ask us to match you with a firm, we offer your matter to a firm on our panel that does your kind of work where the property is, is on your lender's panel and has room for it. Where more than one firm on our panel could act for you, your quote page names the firm we would introduce you to, and you can choose another from a list of those that could act, each with its price for your quote and what it pays us. Where it can act for you, the firm we would introduce you to is our recommended law firm, at present Ackroyd Legal. Your quote page names it first, with the reasons to choose it that are true of it for your quote and set it apart from the other firms that could act. You can choose any of them instead, each at its own price: recommending a firm changes no one's fees. If it cannot take your matter, we offer it to another suitable firm.
Your choice
You do not have to instruct the law firm we introduce, and you can use any conveyancer you like. We work only with the law firms on our panel, not every conveyancer in the UK. A referral does not guarantee a particular outcome or timescale.
Other moving services
If you ask us about a survey, removals, a valuation or an energy performance certificate, we contact you about that service or pass your details to one provider of it. The provider may pay us a fee for the introduction, and you are free to use anyone else.
Northern Ireland
The Law Society of Northern Ireland's rules restrict payments by its solicitors for introductions, so we do not charge law firms for introducing clients to them, or for matters in Northern Ireland, unless we have confirmed that the rules allow it.
Separate representation
When a solicitor or conveyancer, or a borrower, asks through our website for a law firm to act for a mortgage lender (separate representation), we pass the request to the law firm on our panel that acts for lenders, at present Ackroyd Legal. We charge no referral fee for it, either to the solicitor or conveyancer who instructs the firm or to the borrower, and we add nothing to the firm's fees.
Ask us
If you would like to know the amount of any referral fee connected with your matter, ask us through our contact form or email info@key-folio.com and we will tell you before you instruct.