Legal advice on school fees (child never attended)

General information for the business: parents are charged with school fees although child did not attend school
Industry: Education
Legal topic: Contract
Description of legal work: We need legal advice to assess whether the demand for full term school fees (following cancellation) are reasonable and legal.

On 20 April 2012, we accepted an offer for a place at a private school. Unfortunately, our personal and financial circumstances changed in April 2013 and we separated.

We advised the school on 19 May 2013 that we would not be taking the school place offered to our daughter in September 2013. The school responded by saying that we would still be liable for a full term fees because we had not advised them within the notice period of the contract we signed when we accepted the place.

I believe that the notice period they were expecting a refusal of a place would have been 1 month prior to when we actually advised them. We would like a solicitor to look at the contract and advise us if there are any grounds for the school to pursue us for the funds.

Our neighbour was in a similar position a year ago, and no further action was taken after a solicitor reviewed the contract and wrote a letter to the school but I am unable to establish if the contract our neighbours signed is the exact same contract that we signed.

We need to respond to the schools solicitors by Friday 25th Jan 2014 so we need a quick turnaround or ask for an extension.

Please bid for a package on "assessing the situation / reading the contract and 1 letter from each party, advising us on the contract and all correspondence with the school in writing until the matter is resolved".

Our goal is of course to avoid the fees altogether.

Please find the contract attached for your perusal.

We look forward to your bid.
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