COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Our complaints policy

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards.

If you have a complaint, please contact us with the details. We have eight weeks to consider your complaint. If we have not resolved it within this time you may complain to the Legal Ombudsman.

What will happen next? 

  1. We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within three working days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
  2. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to our Principal, Maurice Mason, who will review your matter file and speak to the member of staff who acted for you (if applicable).
  3. He will then invite you to a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. He will do this within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
  4. Within three working days of the meeting, he will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions he has agreed with you.
  5. If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, he will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including his suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
  6. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for someone unconnected with the matter at the firm to review your complaint.
  7. We will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
  8. If you are still not satisfied, you can then contact the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within one year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within one year of you realising there was a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you. :

    The Legal Ombudsman’s contact details are as follows:

    Telephone: 0300 555 0333 Minicom: 0300 555 1777

    Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

    Post: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH

  9. Alternative complaint bodies such as Pro Mediate UK Limited (www.promediate.co.uk) exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and our Firm wish to use such a scheme. We agree to use such a scheme.

If we have to change the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.

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.