Question 1 of 10

You are a recent tenant in commercial chambers. You receive instructions in a leasehold enfranchisement claim, a potentially complex area of law with which you are not familiar. You accept the instructions on the basis that the first hearing which you are instructed to attend is only a directions hearing, leaving you plenty to time to prepare for the substantive hearing a month hence. Two days before what you think is the directions hearing, your clerks tell you that the matter is actually listed for a full day's substantive hearing. Between now and then, you have instructions in an urgent interim injunction, which you have already fully prepared. However, you know you will not have any time during your usual working day to prepare for the leasehold enfranchisement hearing.What should you do?

A. Simply do your best to prepare for the leasehold enfranchisement hearing. If you are unable to prepare properly, you can always make an adjournment application when you get to court. B. Ask your clerks if anyone else in chambers, who is more familiar with leasehold enfranchisement, can cover the hearing. Alternatively, ask your clerks to find out if the court would be willing to re-list the hearing for a later date. If neither of these options work, do your best to prepare for the hearing, as otherwise the client will be left unrepresented. C. You cannot act in the interests of each client as if they were your only client, so you must return one of the instructions. Your choice should depend on which client would be least adversely affected by your doing so. D. You must return the instructions in the leasehold enfranchisement case, as you cannot prepare for it in the course of your normal working day.