SQE2 Client Interviewing & Attendance Notes 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a client interview, which skill is most important for establishing trust at the outset?
- Immediately advising on legal merits
- Active listening and acknowledging the client's concerns (Correct answer)
- Explaining your fee structure in full
- Reading the file before the client speaks
Correct answer: Active listening and acknowledging the client's concerns
Active listening, including appropriate eye contact, paraphrasing and acknowledging emotions, builds rapport and ensures the client feels heard from the start.
Question 2: An attendance note must be completed:
- Within one week of the meeting
- As contemporaneously as possible after the meeting (Correct answer)
- Only if the client requests it
- At the end of the matter
Correct answer: As contemporaneously as possible after the meeting
Attendance notes should be made as soon as practicable after a meeting so that the record is accurate and complete, protecting both the firm and the client.
Question 3: When a client presents a complex problem in an interview, the solicitor should first:
- Advise on all relevant law immediately
- Allow the client to explain the problem fully without interruption (Correct answer)
- Check the limitation period
- Refer the client to a specialist
Correct answer: Allow the client to explain the problem fully without interruption
Letting the client tell their story uninterrupted ensures a complete factual picture is gathered and avoids missing key information through premature legal analysis.
Question 4: Which of the following is NOT a requirement of a valid client care letter under the SRA Code of Conduct?
- Name of the supervising partner (Correct answer)
- Information about the right to complain
- An estimate of costs
- The name of the person handling the matter
Correct answer: Name of the supervising partner
The SRA Code requires information about costs, the complaints procedure and the responsible person, but does not mandate the name of a supervising partner.
Question 5: The key purpose of an attendance note in contentious matters is to:
- Provide marketing data
- Create a contemporaneous record of instructions and advice given (Correct answer)
- Satisfy AML requirements only
- Be used in tribunal proceedings automatically
Correct answer: Create a contemporaneous record of instructions and advice given
In contentious matters attendance notes are vital to evidence the instructions received, advice given and key decisions, protecting the firm if a professional negligence claim arises.
Question 6: When a client discloses information suggesting they intend to commit a future crime, the solicitor should:
- Keep the information confidential and continue acting
- Advise against the course of conduct and consider ceasing to act (Correct answer)
- Report immediately to the police without further action
- Disclose to the other party in the proceedings
Correct answer: Advise against the course of conduct and consider ceasing to act
A solicitor must not assist a client in unlawful activity; the solicitor should advise strongly against it and, if the client persists, withdraw from the retainer.
SQE2 Client Interviewing & Attendance Notes 1
During a client interview, which skill is most important for establishing trust at the outset?