Information about our own complaints process, raising concerns to the Legal Ombudsman and to ourselves

We want to give you the best possible service. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service, I 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. If you would like to make a formal complaint, then you can read our "Solicitors Complaints Procedure". Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.

What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint

The Firm must inform clients of their right to refer an unresolved service complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. Where a complaint has not been resolved through the Firm's complaints procedure, the client may have the right to refer the complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.

The Legal Ombudsman generally requires the Firm to be given up to eight weeks to consider and respond substantively to a complaint before the complaint is referred to the Legal Ombudsman.

The Legal Ombudsman generally requires a complaint to be referred within one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about, or within one year from when the client should reasonably have known about the issue. A complaint referred to the Legal Ombudsman should generally be made within six months of the date of the Firm's final response to the complaint.

The Legal Ombudsman can be contacted at:
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6167
Slough
SL1 0EH

The Firm will provide the client with the current Legal Ombudsman information and applicable time limits when issuing its final response to a complaint. The Firm will also ensure that the information contained in its client care documentation and on its website is kept consistent with the current Legal Ombudsman requirements.

The Firm must ensure that the precise Legal Ombudsman contact details and time-limit wording used in client documents are checked and kept up to date.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is a separate regulatory body. A complaint concerning professional conduct or a serious or potentially serious breach of the SRA's requirements may need to be reported to the SRA rather than being treated solely as a service complaint.

The Firm must consider whether any matter requires notification to the SRA or another regulator in accordance with applicable requirements.

The SRA states that it investigates serious or repeated cases of poor behaviour or conduct and provides a current reporting route for concerns about solicitors and firms. The Firm must not advise a client that the Legal Ombudsman and SRA perform the same function. The appropriate organisation depends upon the nature of the concern.