We try to ensure that clients are given a prompt, efficient and cost-effective service. However, from time to time there will be occasions when we do not achieve this, and this document tells you about what we shall do to try and resolve any problems as swiftly as possible and what steps we shall take in the future to avoid any repetition. We aim to complete the process within eight weeks of you contacting us.

Our definition of a complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction with any element of our service, including our fees, however expressed, which the member of the Firm involved cannot immediately resolve with the person who has expressed dissatisfaction. Any concerns should thus be addressed to the partner with overall supervision of your matter in the first instance or, if you prefer, to Nicola Taylor, our Client Relationship Manager, who can be contacted on [email protected]. If for any reason Miss Taylor is not available, or your concerns are about her, Elliott Costa ([email protected]) will deal with your complaint.

If this initial, informal approach fails to resolve any issues, you should address your concerns formally to the Client Relationship Manager.

Our Complaints Handling Procedure

The Client Relationship Manager will send you a copy of this procedure if you have not already requested that she do so.

If you make a complaint in person or on the telephone:

1. The Client Relationship Manager will either ask you to confirm the detail of your complaint in writing, or will write to you (normally within five working days), acknowledging the complaint and asking you to confirm that the details set out in the letter reflect the nature of your complaint.
2. When you are content that the details of your complaint are accurate, the Client Relationship Manager will refer your concerns to the Supervising Partner of the person who has been dealing with your matter, or to another Supervising Partner if the person about whom you are complaining is a Supervising Partner. S/he will review your file and speak to the person involved.
3. At the same time, the Client Relationship Manager will write to you again (normally within three working days), acknowledging your response, providing you with the names of the members of the Firm who will be handling your concerns, and inviting  you to a meeting to discuss, and hopefully resolve your complaint.
4. If you do not wish to attend a meeting or you are unable to do so, we will investigate your concerns and write to you with a full answer to the issues that you have raised (normally within fifteen working days of our having received your complaint).

 

If you make a complaint in writing:

1. The Client Relationship Manager will, in the first instance and where practicable, try to contact you by telephone to discuss your concerns.
2. The Client Relationship Manager will then refer your concerns to the Supervising Partner of the person who has been dealing with your matter, or to another Supervising Partner if the person about whom you are complaining is a Supervising Partner.  S/he will review your file and speak to the person involved.
3. At the same time, the Client Relationship Manager will write to you (normally within five working days), acknowledging your response, providing you with the names of the members of the Firm who will be handling your concerns, and inviting you to a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint.
4. If you do not wish to attend a meeting or you are unable to do so, we will investigate your concerns and write to you with a full answer to the issues that you have raised (normally within fifteen working days of our having received your complaint).

If at any stage we are unable to meet these timescales, we will let you know and explain why.

What to do if you are unhappy with the decision

If you do not agree with our decision, you can write to our Client Relationship Manager but we do ask that you contact us within three weeks of receiving the written outcome of our investigation. Depending on the nature of your continued dissatisfaction, the Client Relationship Manager will either refer your concerns back to the Supervising Partner who has already been involved, or he will refer your concerns to two other Supervising Partners who have not been involved previously and who will review your complaint. At the same time, the Client Relationship Manager will write to you, acknowledging your continued dissatisfaction (normally within three working days) and will advise you of the names of the members of the Firm who will be reviewing your complaint and provide you with a date by which we will write to you (normally within ten working days).

What to do if you are still unhappy

At the conclusion of the Complaints Handling Procedure, if you do not feel that we have addressed your concerns to your satisfaction, provided you are a member of the public, a very small business, charity, club or trust, you have a right to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, who can be contacted on their helpline, 0300 555 0333, via email at [email protected] or in writing to their address at P O Box 15870, Birmingham B30  9EB.

If your complaint relates to an invoice, you may also have a right to object to the invoice by applying to the court for an assessment of the invoice under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. We must advise you that if all or part of an invoice remains unpaid we may be entitled to charge interest.

Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman about any aspect of our service, including costs, must be made within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint and

• No more than 6 years from the date of act/omission or
• No more than 3 years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for a complaint.

Whichever is the later.