COMPLAINTS HANDING PROCEDURE
Our Complaints Policy
We are committed to providing a high quality legal service to all our clients. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards.
Our Complaints procedure
If you have a complaint, please contact us with the details in writing.
What will happen next?
- We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 3 working days of us receiving the complaint, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
- We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to our client care partner (You will have been notified in your original Terms of Business and Client Care letter as to whom you can complain to) who will review your matter file and speak to the member of staff who acted for you.
- The partner will then invite you to a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. She/He will do this within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
- Within 3 days of the meeting She/He will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions She/He has agreed with you.
- If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, She/He will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including, his/her suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
- At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for another partner or someone unconnected with the matter at the firm to review the decision.
- We will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
- If you are not satisfied with our final position on your complaint, you have 6 months to contact the Legal Ombudsman (subject to Ombudsman rules) about your grievance with the firm.
- The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help if you are concerned about any regulatory issues. Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with them.
If we have to change and of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.
LEGAL OMBUDSMAN
If we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you may refer the matter to the Legal Ombudsman.
Contact Details for the Legal Ombudsman:
- Address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH
- Telephone: 0300 555 0333
- Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
- Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Time Limits for Making a Complaint:
You must make your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six years of the date of the act or omission you are complaining about, or within three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
In addition, you must refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to your complaint.
Please note that the Legal Ombudsman will not usually accept complaints where:
- The problem occurred before 6 October 2010, or
- You have already referred your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.
A complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must be made:
- Within six months of receiving our final response to your complaint; and
- No more than one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or
- No more than one year from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint.
Please note that in January 2024 the Legal Ombudsman changed their address. It is now:
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6167
Slough
SL1 0EH