Complaints Procedure

Complaints

  1. Our Complaints Policy

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service we have provided then you should inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.

In the first instance please contact your Client Relationship Manager, or the individual named in your engagement letter as having overall responsibility for the handling of your matter, as it is our experience that many issues can be resolved quickly and efficiently by those who have direct responsibility for overseeing the particular work being undertaken.

However, if this is not successful or you wish to make a formal complaint then please follow the procedure below.

  1. Our Complaints Procedure

2.1       If you would like to make a formal complaint, then you should contact us with the relevant details. Your complaint should be addressed to our Complaints Partner, Jeremy Parkes who has overall responsibility for complaints.

2.2       We will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint and asking you, if necessary, to explain the details.  We will also let you know the name of the person who will be dealing with your complaint.  You can expect to receive our letter within 2 business days of us receiving your complaint.

2.3       We will then start to investigate your complaint.  This will normally involve the following steps:

2.3.1    We will pass your complaint to Jeremy Parkes, or in his absence the next most senior Partner in the firm within 2 working days.

2.3.2    He will ask the member of staff who acted for you for his/her comments on your complaint within 3 working days.

2.3.3    He will then examine their response and the information in your file.  If necessary, he may also speak to any members of staff involved.

2.4       We will then send you a detailed reply to your complaint. This will include suggestions for resolving the matter.  This will be done within 5 working days of completing our investigation and in any event within eight weeks of receiving your complaint.

2.5       If you are not satisfied with the proposed resolution of your complaint or the treatment of your complaint you may write to us again and another Partner in the firm will review the proposed resolution and procedures followed.

2.6       We will then write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.

  1. What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint

If our formal complaints procedure fails to produce a satisfactory outcome or we fail to respond within eight weeks of receiving your complaint, you can ask the Legal Ombudsman to consider the complaint. Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. You must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

  • Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint

and

  • No later than one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or
  • No later than one year from the date when you should have realised that there was cause for complaint.

Contact details

Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm

Email: [email protected]

Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167

Slough, SL1 0EH

  1. Solicitors Regulation Authority

The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour.  This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.

You can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority at https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor.page