Introduction
We want to give you the best possible service. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service we provided then you should inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.
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 the problem or issue continues and you feel it has net been resolved then please contact the supervisor of your matter. The contact details for the supervisor will have been provided to you at the start of your matter.
Procedure
If you would like to make a formal complaint, then you can read our full complaints procedure here. Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.
In order to properly deal with your complaint we will follow the complaints procedure as follows:
- Any formal complaint should be addressed to our head of complaints Keith Betts who can be contacted in writing at 147 High Street, Hythe, Kent, CT21 5JN or by email . You should explain what you are complaining about and why.
- We will acknowledge you complaint within 7 working days of receipt.
- Our head of complaints will show your complaint to the person responsible for your matter, ask them to respond to them in writing and conduct a complete review of your file. They will interview any members of staff involved in your matter.
- You will receive a written response to your complaint within 14 days from the date your complaint is first received. This will explain the result of our investigation, any proposed resolution and what we will do in the future to change our procedures to ensure the situation does not arise again.
- In the event that you are not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint we will refer you to the appropriate authority should you wish to take the matter further.
Taking the Complaint Further
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. Guidance on this can be found at https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/
What do to if the SRA cannot resolve your complaint
The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case.
Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:
- Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint
and - No more than six years from the date of act/omission; or
- No more than three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them. The complaints guidance can be found at
https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/information-centre/consumer-resources/bringing-a-complaint-to-us/
Contact details
Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm.
Email:
Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ