1. About these terms
These terms apply to the services provided by Ashcombe Private Office ("Ashcombe Private Office", "we", "us" or "our") to a client ("you" or "your"). They take effect on 2026-05-22. Our contact details are 18 King Street, London, SW1Y 6QW, United Kingdom and office@ashcombeprivate.co.uk.
Ashcombe Private Office provides private office and advisory services. The precise work, deliverables, timetable, fees and any other arrangements will be set out in a proposal, engagement letter or other written agreement that we provide to you and that you accept (the "engagement"). These terms apply alongside that engagement. If the engagement expressly conflicts with these terms, the engagement will take precedence for that conflict.
Please read these terms and the applicable engagement before instructing us. By accepting an engagement or asking us to begin work, you agree to these terms. If you are accepting on behalf of a company or another person, you confirm that you are authorised to bind them.
2. Our services and scope
We will provide the services described in the applicable engagement with reasonable care and skill. The scope may include private office support, coordination, research, introductions, or advisory work, but only where those services are specifically described in the engagement. We do not undertake work outside the agreed scope unless we agree to it in writing.
Any estimates of timing, outcomes or resource requirements are made in good faith using the information available when given. Unless an engagement expressly states otherwise, they are not guarantees. We may propose adjustments if your requirements change, new information emerges, or circumstances outside our control affect delivery. Changes to scope, fees or timing are effective only when agreed in writing.
We may use employees, professional advisers or other suitably qualified service providers to assist with delivery where appropriate. We remain responsible for the services we have agreed to provide. We will use reasonable care when selecting and coordinating any third party engaged by us, but we are not responsible for the independent acts or omissions of a provider that you appoint or contract with directly.
We do not provide legal, tax, investment, medical or other regulated professional advice unless the engagement expressly says that we do and the relevant service is lawfully provided by an appropriately authorised professional. You should obtain independent specialist advice where a decision requires it.
3. Your responsibilities
You will provide accurate, complete and timely information, instructions, documents and decisions that we reasonably need to perform the services. You are responsible for checking information you provide and for notifying us promptly if it changes. We may rely on information supplied by you or on your behalf without independently verifying it, unless verification is part of the agreed scope.
You will appoint an appropriate contact who can give instructions and make decisions for you. You will review our requests and deliverables within a reasonable time and tell us promptly if you identify an error or have a concern. Delays caused by missing information, late decisions or other matters within your control may affect delivery dates and may result in additional fees if agreed with you.
You must use our services lawfully and must not ask us to do anything that would involve fraud, a breach of legal or regulatory requirements, infringement of another person's rights, or improper disclosure or use of confidential information. You remain responsible for your own decisions, approvals and dealings with third parties.
4. Fees, expenses and payment
Our fees, billing basis and payment dates will be specified in the engagement. Unless otherwise stated, fees are exclusive of applicable taxes, which will be added where required by law. You will also reimburse reasonable expenses incurred specifically for the services where the engagement provides for this or you have approved them.
Invoices are payable by the date stated on the invoice or engagement. If no payment date is stated, payment is due within 14 days of the invoice date. If you dispute an invoice, you must tell us promptly, explain the reason and pay any undisputed amount by its due date. We will work with you in good faith to resolve a genuine billing dispute.
Where a sum due is overdue, we may charge interest and recover reasonable costs of collection to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 where it applies. We may, after giving reasonable notice, suspend affected services while overdue amounts remain unpaid. Suspension does not remove your obligation to pay for services already performed or approved expenses already incurred.
5. Confidentiality and materials
Each party may receive information that is confidential or sensitive in connection with an engagement. The recipient will use such information only for the purposes of the engagement, protect it using reasonable care, and disclose it only to people who need it for those purposes and are subject to appropriate confidentiality duties. These obligations do not apply to information that is public through no breach, was lawfully known to the recipient, is independently developed, or is lawfully received from another source without a duty of confidence.
A party may disclose confidential information where required by law, a court or a competent regulator. Where legally permitted, the disclosing party will give the other party advance notice and reasonably cooperate to limit the disclosure. We may retain records where necessary for legal, regulatory, insurance, accounting or legitimate business purposes, subject to applicable data protection law.
Each party retains ownership of materials, intellectual property and know-how it owned or developed independently of the engagement. Subject to payment of applicable fees, you may use deliverables created specifically for you for the purpose for which they were prepared. Unless the engagement says otherwise, we retain ownership of our methods, templates, working papers, tools and general know-how. You may not publish, distribute or commercially exploit our materials outside the agreed purpose without our written permission.
6. Data protection
Each party will comply with the data protection laws applicable to it, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. Where we process personal data as an independent controller in connection with our business relationship, we will handle it in accordance with applicable law and provide information about our processing in our privacy notice.
Where we process personal data solely on your documented instructions as a processor, the parties will put in place any required data processing terms. You are responsible for ensuring that you have a lawful basis and appropriate notices for personal data you provide to us, and that your instructions are lawful. We will use appropriate technical and organisational measures proportionate to the nature of the data and processing.
7. Liability
Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded. Nothing in these terms affects any rights or remedies that cannot be excluded under applicable law.
Subject to the preceding paragraph, we are not liable for loss of profits, revenue, business opportunity, anticipated savings, goodwill, or indirect or consequential loss arising out of or in connection with an engagement. We are not responsible for loss caused by inaccurate or incomplete information supplied by you, your failure to follow advice or instructions, or the acts or omissions of a third party you appoint directly, except to the extent our own breach caused that loss.
Subject to the exclusions and non-excludable liabilities above, our total aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with an engagement, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty or otherwise, will not exceed the total fees paid or payable to us for the services giving rise to the claim during the 12 months before the event giving rise to liability. This limit applies to the fullest extent permitted by law. You must take reasonable steps to mitigate any loss you suffer.
Nothing in these terms makes us responsible for decisions you make or for a result that depends on factors outside our reasonable control. Any opinions or recommendations are provided for the agreed purpose and should not be treated as a guarantee of a particular outcome.
8. Term and ending an engagement
An engagement begins on the date agreed in writing and continues until the agreed services are completed or it is ended under this section. Either party may end an ongoing engagement by giving the notice period stated in the engagement. If no notice period is stated, either party may end it by giving 30 days' written notice.
Either party may end an engagement immediately by written notice if the other commits a material breach and, where that breach can be remedied, fails to remedy it within 14 days after receiving written notice requiring it to do so. We may also end or suspend an engagement where continuing would be unlawful or where you fail to pay an undisputed overdue invoice after reasonable notice.
On termination, you will pay fees for services performed up to the termination date and any approved, non-cancellable expenses. We will provide any completed deliverables for which payment is due. Provisions that by their nature should continue after termination, including confidentiality, payment obligations, intellectual property, liability and dispute provisions, will remain in effect.
9. Events beyond our control
Neither party will be in breach of these terms to the extent that it is prevented or materially delayed from performing an obligation by an event beyond its reasonable control, such as a natural disaster, epidemic, war, civil disturbance, interruption of essential communications or utilities, or governmental action. The affected party will notify the other as soon as reasonably practicable and take reasonable steps to reduce the effect of the event.
If the event continues for more than 30 days and materially affects the engagement, either party may end the affected services by written notice. You remain responsible for fees and approved expenses incurred before termination.
10. Complaints, law and general terms
If you have a concern about our services, please contact us at office@ashcombeprivate.co.uk with a description of the issue. We will acknowledge your concern and seek to resolve it reasonably and promptly. The parties will first try in good faith to resolve any dispute through discussion before starting court proceedings, except where urgent relief is needed.
These terms and each engagement are governed by the law of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales will have exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising out of or in connection with them, subject to any mandatory rights you may have under applicable law.
We may update these terms for future engagements by publishing or providing a revised version. The terms applicable to an existing engagement will not be changed to your disadvantage without your agreement, except where a change is required by law. If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in effect. A failure or delay in exercising a right is not a waiver of that right.
You may not transfer your rights or obligations under an engagement without our written consent. We may transfer an engagement as part of a reorganisation or transfer of our business, provided this does not materially reduce your rights. These terms and the applicable engagement form the entire agreement concerning the services and replace prior discussions on that subject. Any amendment must be agreed in writing by both parties.