It is important that you are provided with the best possible legal service by this business. To understand your experience of the service that you have been provided with, all of my clients are asked to complete a Client Feedback Form and I always respond to your comments.  However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service before you are asked to complete a Feedback Form, you should let me know immediately, so that I can do my best to resolve matters. 

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In the first instance it is helpful that you contact me, preferably in writing, to let me know about your concerns and I will do my best to resolve any issues at this stage.

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If you would like to make a formal complaint, the Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about a Solicitor's 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.

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The Legal Ombudsman can help you if I am unable to resolve your complaint myself. They will look at your complaint independently. Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with me first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

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• Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint

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and

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• No more than one year from the date of the act/omission complained of; or

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• No more than one year 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 as follows:

Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

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

Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

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

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Complaints Procedure

I am committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all of my clients. When something goes wrong, I need you to tell me about it. This will help me to improve business standards. If you have a complaint, please contact me with the details, preferably in writing. You will not be charged for handling your complaint.

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What will happen next?

1. I will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 3 working days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this procedure and confirming the timescale within which I will handle your complaint.

2. I will then investigate your complaint. Within 15 working days of receiving your complaint I will review your matter file and invite you to a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. If you would like a meeting at any time let me know.

3. Within 5 working days of any meeting, I will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions I have agreed with you.

4. If you do not want a meeting or for some reason it is not possible, I will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including my suggestions for resolving the matter, within 20 working days of it becoming clear that a meeting between us will not be possible.

5. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact me again to let me know with reasons why and I will look again at your matter again to review it. I will then write to you within 10 working days of receiving your request for a review, confirming my final position on your complaint and explaining my reasons and within 8 weeks of receiving your complaint.

6. If you are still not satisfied, you may contact:

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Legal Ombudsman,
PO Box 6167 Slough, SL1 0EH 

Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of the date of our final written response on your complaint but for further information, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333 or at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.

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If I have to change any of the timescales above, I will let you know and explain why. If at any time I do not hear from you for a period of 2 months when it would be appropriate for you to respond to me, I shall assume that you have decided not to pursue your complaint and close the file.

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Fiona Duff

Legalknowledge.net