We want to give you the best possible service. 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, it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues. If you would like to make a formal complaint, then you can read our full complaints procedure below. Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.
What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint:
The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case.
Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:
- Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint; and
- No more than six years from the date of act/omission; or
- No more than three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them.
Contact details
Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9.00 to 17.00.
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ
What to do if you are unhappy with our behaviour:
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help 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.
Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Our Complaints handling Stages
We have 3 stages to our Complaints Handling Policy.
Stage One – Initial concerns
In most cases, an informal chat with the person dealing with your matter on a day to day basis will resolve your concerns.
Alternatively, you can raise the complaint with the Partner whose name you were given in one of our first letters to you. They will endeavour to resolve the complaint within 14 days.
If this does not resolve your concerns, you can formalise your complaint to our Complaints Partner under Stage two.
Stage Two – Escalation to the Complaints Partner
If we have been unable to resolve your complaint at Stage One, you can formalise your complaint to our Complaints Partner in writing by either email or letter marked for the personal attention of the Complaints Partner.
To deal with your complaint correctly, it would be helpful when contacting us if you could provide the following information:
- Your name, contact details and preferred contact method
- File reference number
- Details of your concerns
- How you would like us to put things right.
If your problem was raised under Stage One with our Complaints Partner, you have the choice of either referring the complaint to Isabel Elliott, Managing Partner, or going straight to Stage Three.
Whilst we will try to deal with your complaint within 14 days, more time may be needed in some cases because of the varying nature of possible complaints and therefore the action required for remedy. We will tell you promptly how long we think it will take to deal with your complaint, up to a maximum of 8 weeks, and if you are not satisfied with the time estimate, you can immediately move to Stage Three.
If we do not consider your complaint justified, we shall say so and you can, if you wish, move to Stage Three.
If we consider your complaint is justified, we will:
- offer you an apology,
- provide an explanation and
- take such other action as we feel necessary to correct matters. This might involve transferring the case to another fee earner, with your consent, or offering a costs concession.
At the conclusion of Stage Two we will confirm our final response in writing.
If you remain dissatisfied, you should write to tell us, and Stage Three will come into operation.
Stage Three
If you have exhausted our internal escalation process yet remain dissatisfied, or a period of eight weeks has expired since we acknowledged your complaint without our final response being received, you are entitled to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.
The Legal Ombudsman will look at the complaint independently and any investigation by them will not affect how we handle your matter.
Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve the complaint with us in the first instance. We will always be happy to discuss your issues further, prior to you going down this route, if you wish to do so.
For complaints about our service, including billing issues, you may contact the Legal Ombudsman via one of the methods below:
- Phone: 0300 5550333
- Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
- Post: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV19 9WJ
Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of the date of our final written response to your complaint. Other time limits to be aware of are:
- The Ombudsman will consider your complaint if you refer it on to them within either of the following: six years of the problem happening or three years from when you found out about it.
- The Ombudsman will not accept complaints where the act/omission or the date of awareness was before 5 October 2010.
Note that the Legal Ombudsman service cannot be used by businesses or most other organisations unless they are below certain size limits. Further details are available from the Legal Ombudsman.
Complaints Register
Details of all complaints and the action taken will be kept on a central register with a view to assisting in consistency of response and helping us to identify areas where improvements can be made in our service to clients.
What to do if you are unhappy with our behaviour
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (‘SRA’) can help 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.
Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with the SRA at: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/
What to do if your complaint relates to an insurance policy
If your unresolved complaint relates to an insurance policy covering your case, you may contact the Financial Ombudsman Service:
- Phone: 0800 023 4567
- Online complaint forms available via their website:
- Post: Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower. Harbour Exchange. London. E14 9SR.
What to do if your complaint remains unresolved
If a complaint cannot be resolved, you may also be able to ask for it to be referred to a process of alternative dispute resolution using a certified provider. We are not required to agree to such a request. In any case this is not available to businesses, only consumers. We will give you more information about that right if it becomes relevant.