We are committed to providing a high-quality service to our clients. This includes a commitment to putting things right when they go wrong. This policy explains how we will deal with any complaint.
We acknowledge that we may not always get everything right, so if something has gone wrong, including in relation to our charges, we need you to tell us. This will help us to improve our standards of service.
How do I make a complaint?
You can contact us in writing (by letter or email) or by telephone.
In the first instance, it may be helpful to contact the person dealing with your matter, who will do their best to resolve your concerns. If you do not feel able to discuss your concerns with them, please contact the person responsible for the overall supervision of your matter, who will be named in the client care letter we sent you at the beginning of your matter.
If you do not feel able to raise your concerns with either of these people, or you are unsatisfied with their response, please contact Ed Cooke, our Managing Partner who has overall responsibility for complaints. His details are also in the client care letter we sent you at the beginning of your matter.
To help us to understand your complaint, and in order that we do not miss anything, please tell us:
- your full name and contact details;
- what you think we have got wrong;
- how you would like your complaint to be resolved; and
- your file reference number (if you have it).
If you require any help in making your complaint we will try to help you.
How will you deal with my complaint?
We will write to you within two working days acknowledging your complaint, enclosing a copy of this policy.
We will investigate your complaint. This will usually involve:
- reviewing your complaint;
- reviewing your file(s) and other relevant documents; and
- liaising with the person who dealt with your matter.
We may also need to ask you for further information or documents. If so, we will ask you to provide the information within a specific period of time.
We will update you on the progress of your complaint at appropriate times.
We may also, if appropriate, invite you to a meeting to discuss your complaint. You do not have to attend if you do not wish to or if you are unable to. We will be happy to discuss the matter with you by telephone or video conference.
We will write to you at the end of our investigation to tell you what we have done and what we propose to do to resolve your complaint. Where possible, we will aim to do this within 21 days of the date of our letter of acknowledgement.
What if I am not satisfied with the outcome?
If you are unhappy with the outcome of our complaints handling procedure, please let us know and we will review the matter.
If we have not resolved your complaint within eight weeks, you may be able to complain to the Legal Ombudsman. This applies if you are an individual, a business with fewer than 10 employees and turnover or assets not exceeding a certain threshold, a charity or trust with a net income of less than £1m, or if you fall within certain other categories (you can find out more from the Legal Ombudsman).
The Legal Ombudsman’s contact details are:
Normally, you will need to bring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint, or within one year of the act or omission you are complaining about (or if outside of this period, within one year of when you should reasonably have been aware of it). Generally, the Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints relating to acts or omissions that happened after 5 October 2010. Further details are available on the Legal Ombudsman’s website (please see above).
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 its website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/
What will it cost?
We will not charge you for handling your complaint.
Please note that if we have issued a bill for work done on the matter, and all or some of the bill is not paid, we may be entitled to charge interest on the amount outstanding. This is explained in our Terms of Business.
The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.
