We are committed to providing a high quality legal service and to dealing with all of our clients fairly. If you feel that something has gone wrong, including in relation to your bill, we need you to tell us.
We have a procedure in place which details how we handle complaints. We have eight weeks to consider your complaint. If we have not resolved it within this time then you may complain to the Legal Ombudsman.
If you are not satisfied with our handling of your complaint you can ask the Legal Ombudsman, on telephone number 0300 555 0333, to consider the complaint. 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. There are restrictions on the right to bring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. These include, for example, most businesses (unless they are defined as micro-enterprises), charities or clubs with an annual income of more than £1,000,000.00 or trustees of a trust with an asset value of more than £1,000,000.00. We would remind those clients of the right to apply for an Assessment of a Bill of Costs.
All firms of Solicitors are obliged to attempt to resolve problems that clients may have with the service provided. It is therefore important that you immediately raise any concerns with us. We value you as a client and would not wish to think that you have any reason to be unhappy with us.
We will act speedily and will try to abide by timescales indicated below or let you know of any reason for extending these.
Our investigation will normally involve the following steps, though may be a little slower e.g. in the holiday season or the run up to Christmas.
We hope that you will tell us on receipt of the letter in reply to your complaint if you are satisfied or if further steps need to be taken to resolve the matter. If you do not wish to have a meeting with us or if it is not possible for any reason that will be quite understood. The managing partner will then send you a further reply within seven days of completing his own investigation. This may include suggestions for resolving the matter.
If you inform us that you are still not satisfied and confirm that to us in writing, we will then arrange to review our decision. This will happen in one of the following ways:-
Within five days of the end of the appeal's review, we will inform you of the result in writing. That will confirm our final position on your complaint and explain our reasons. If you are still not satisfied, you can then contact the Legal Ombudsman at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk or PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ, about your complaint. Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of receiving our final written response about your complaint or within 12 months of the act or omission about which you are complaining occurring (or you becoming aware of it). Further information can be obtained from the Legal Ombudsman.
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 together with costs in respect of any recovery proceedings which become necessary. Such additional interest and costs will not be payable in the event that your complaint is ultimately upheld.
The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.