Complaints Guide

1. 1

   We will nominate another solicitor within the firm as your dedicated Point of Contact (POC) and ask you to direct all future communications concerning your complaint to this person. The POC will not be the solicitor dealing with your case to ensure that the complaint is handled objectively and to provide you with a second opinion regarding the matter.

2. 2

   Please contact the POC by letter or email to let them know about the issues with our service.

3. 3

   We will acknowledge your complaint within two working days of receipt of your first communication with the POC.

4. 4

   We will explain the way we will deal with your complaint within the next two weeks; for example, by way of a meeting with you, provision of further information, and/or an investigation into the issues raised. You will not be charged for making a complaint.

5. 5

   After perusal of the file, your POC will consider all the facts and evidence relating to the complaint and report the findings and conclusion to you i.e. if the firm has provided or failed to provide a reasonable service to you. In reaching a conclusion, your POC will take into account the professional standards required by the SRA, rules of Courts and the Law.

6. 6

   We will endeavour to resolve your complaint within 8 weeks of receipt of your first communication with the firm.

7. 7

   At this stage, if you are satisfied with the outcome of our investigation, you do not need to take further action. If, however, you are dissatisfied, you have the option of taking your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman (contact details below). Please let us know should you choose this option.

The Legal Ombudsman is a free, independent service that investigates complaints about the service provided by lawyers in England and Wales. It is open to members of the public, small businesses, charities, clubs and trusts. The Legal Ombudsman expects you to give us the opportunity to resolve your complaint first, using the procedure above.

There are time limits for complaining to the Legal Ombudsman:

• no later than one year from the act or omission you are complaining about, or one year from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint; and
• within six months of receiving our final written response to your complaint.

The Legal Ombudsman has discretion to extend these limits where it would be fair to do so. Its contact details are set out at the foot of this page.

The Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints about poor service. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), which regulates us, deals with concerns about a solicitor's behaviour — for example dishonesty, taking or losing your money, or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or another characteristic.

You can raise a concern of that kind with the SRA at any time — you do not need to complain to us first. Details of how to report a concern are on the SRA's website: sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor.