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.

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.

Our complaints procedure

If you wish to make a more formal complaint, please send full written details to Christopher Pugh, our client care director and COLP. He will then obtain the file and discuss the matter with the person involved, and the director in charge of the department involved in your complaint. Your complaint will
then be dealt with as set out below. If we have to change any of the timescales set out below we will let you know and explain why.

What will happen next?

For general complaints we will:

  1. We will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint and, if necessary, asking you to confirm or explain any details. If we believe it would be appropriate or helpful, we will suggest a meeting at this stage.
  2. We will record your complaint in our central register and open a file for your complaint. We will also investigate your complaint by examining the relevant file.
  3. We will write to you with the result of our investigation, usually within 14 days of receipt of your written complaint. Our letter will fully set out our views on the situation, and any redress that we would feel to be appropriate. If appropriate or necessary, we will then also invite you to meet Christopher Pugh to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint.
  4. If any meeting takes place, we will write to you within two days of that meeting to confirm what took place and any suggestions that we have agreed with you.
  5. At that stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should let us know. We will then pass the complaint to a different director who has not previously been involved in investigating your complaint, and who will fully and objectively review our decision. We would generally aim to do this within 14 days.
  6. We will write to you to let you know the result of that review once it has been completed. That will be our final position on your complaint, and our letter to you will explain the reasons for our decision.

Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your matter.

For data protection complaints, we will:

  1. Acknowledge receipt of your complaint within no more than 30 days of receiving it.
  2. Where necessary, we may request proof of your identity and/ or authority to make the complaint if it is made on behalf of someone else.
  3. Provide you with a copy of our privacy notice if you have not already seen it (which can also be accessed on our website).
  4. Record your complaint on our central register.
  5. Where necessary, we may arrange a discussion with you to obtain further information and/ or try to agree how to resolve the issues without undue delay.
  6. If we have are not able to resolve your complaint during any discussion or meeting then we will take appropriate steps make appropriate enquiries. We will keep you updated on the progress of the investigation without undue delay, particularly if it becomes necessary to extend any timescales provided at the outset;
  7. Confirm the outcome of our investigation into your complaint without unjustifiable or excessive delay. We will explain what we have done to resolve your complaint and, where appropriate, any actions we have taken as a result.

What do to if we 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. The Legal Ombudsman also expects complaints to be made to it within one year of you realising there was a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving our final response to your complaint.

If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, you can contact them.

Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm.

Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Legal Ombudsman
P.O. Box 6167
Slough
SL1 0EH

The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be in the unlikely event of 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

If you have a complaint which relates to how your personal data has been used/handled and we are not able to resolve it to your satisfaction pursuant to this policy, you may be able to make a complaint to the Information Commission Office (ICO) directly. You can learn more about the ICO and personal data rights at: www.ico.org.uk and specifically about complaints in relation to the use of your personal data at: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/data-protection-complaints/