Complaints Procedure
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.
Our complaints procedure
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 at this stage. If you remain unsatisfied, please contact the Senior Partner, Russell Conway, with the details. Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.
What will happen next?
Russell Conway will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint, where necessary asking you to confirm or explain the details. You can expect to receive our letter within 5 working days of the Firm receiving your complaint.
We will open a file for your complaint and record it in our central register. We will do this within 2 working days of receiving your complaint.
Russell Conway will start to investigate your complaint and send you his detailed reply, or invite you to a meeting to discuss the matter. He will do this within 8 weeks. The complaint investigation will normally involve Mr Conway examining your file and speaking with the person within the Firm who acted for you. If Mr Conway was acting for you, the investigation will be carried out by his partner Ms Jo Shortland.
If you would like to have a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint, we will arrange this within 3 working days of your request. Within 3 working days of the meeting Mr Conway will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions he has agreed with you.
If you do not want a meeting, or if it is not possible for any reason, Mr Conway will send you a detailed response to your complaint, including suggestions for resolving the matter. You will receive this within eight weeks of the firm acknowledging your complaint.
At this stage, if you remain dissatisfied, you can let us know. We will arrange to review the decision. This may happen in one of the following ways: Mr Conway, as Investigating Officer, will review the decision personally within 10 working days
OR
We will arrange for Mr Conway’s Partner, Ms Shortland, or someone who is not connected with the complaint, to review the decision.
If you are not happy with our response then you may refer the matter to the Legal Ombudsman who can be contacted on the below contact details.
Where the Legal Ombudsman considers that there is an irretrievable breakdown in our relationship you may complain to the Legal Ombudsman without our response or where the Legal Ombudsman considers that there are exceptional reasons to consider the complaint sooner or without it having been made to us first , for example the Legal Ombudsman may consider the complaint where the complaint has not been considered by us or delay would cause harm you may then make the complaint.
There are new time limits in relation to raising a complaint with the Legal Ombudsman which come into effect as from 1st April 2023.
You must refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman no later than one year from the act or omission being complained about arose or within one year from the time you should have realised that there was cause for complaint whichever is the later.
If you are outside of these time limits you may nonetheless ask teh Legal Ombudsman to waive them. The Legal Ombudsman may waive the time limits in circumstances where the Legal Ombudsman determined it to be fair and reasonable to do so.
Please note that the matter you wish to complain about must have taken place after 5 October 2016.
Further, if you wish to raise a complaint with the Legal Ombudsman you must do so within six months after our final written response to your complaint.
Contact details:
Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Call: 0300 555 0333 and Minicom 0300 555 1777 – between 9am to 5pm.
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6167, Slough SL1 0EH
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can also 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.