We are committed to providing a high quality service to all our clients. When something goes wrong we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to maintain and improve our standards.
We would initially prefer you to make a complaint verbally to the fee earner who is dealing with your file. However if you have reason to make a formal complaint then please initially contact the person who is stated in the client care letter as being the supervisor for the fee earner that you have been dealing with. You can contact him or her at the office detailed in the client care letter or alternatively you can contact our C.Louise Salisbury (Partner) at Unit B1 Waterfold House, Waterfold Business Park, Bury, BL9 7BR, telephone 0161 763 1000, e-mail [email protected]. You must set out details of your complaint.
What will happen next
1. We will record your complaint in our Complaints Register and send you an acknowledgment within 7 days from the date the complaint was received by us identifying the person (usually but not always the Head of the Department) who will investigate it (the Investigating Officer).
2. The Investigating Officer will give a copy of the complaint to the person against whom it was made (the Executive) and require him/her to provide the Investigating Officer with a detailed response and your file for review. This will normally be done within 21 days from the date of your complaint was received by us.
3. Upon receipt of the response and the file the Investigating Officer will consider both and thereafter write to you setting out the firm’s detailed response to the complaint. This will normally be done within 28 days from the date the complaint was received by us.
4. If you are dissatisfied with the Investigating Officer’s detailed response to your complaint, you should write to C. Louise Salisbury to confirm this. A meeting will then be convened with you and an independent partner of the firm on a mutually convenient date, usually within 14 days from the receipt of your letter. At that meeting the relevant partner will consider your complaint and within 7 days thereafter, write to you setting out the firm’s response to the meeting.
5. This letter will conclude the Internal Complaints Procedure and if at that stage you are still dissatisfied, then it is open to you to seek such advice as you deem appropriate.
Time Limits
6. In the event that the Executive is absent from the office through illness, holiday or other cause for a continuous period of up to 14 days we will notify you of the position and extend the time for his/her response to 14 days from the date of his/her return to work.
7. In the event that the Executive is absent from the office for a continuous period in excess of 14 days we will again notify you of the position and arrange for the Investigating Officer to consider the file and write to you setting out the firm’s detailed response to the complaint. This will normally be done within 35 days form the date the complaint was received by us.
8. In the event that the Investigating Officer is absent from the office through illness, holiday or other cause, for a continuous period of 14 days after the Executive has prepared his/her report then a Partner in this firm will be appointed to take over the duty of Investigating Officer and will write to you setting out the firm’s detailed response to the complaint. If this happens, we will write to you informing you of the position and extend the date of the firm’s detailed response to your complaint to 14 days from the date the Partner was appointed to take over the duties of the Investigating Officer.
9. As a last resort in the event that we are unable to resolve your complaint then you have a right to complain to Legal Ombudsman within 6 months of your last contact with us. The website for Legal Ombudsman is www.legalombudsman.org.uk and their address is Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ.
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, https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor.page
10. In addition we are obliged to give you information with regard to our Professional Indemnity Insurance which is as follows :-
• International Insurance Company of Hannover SE for and on behalf of Global Professional Risk Solutions, A Division of Lockton Companies LLP, The St Botolph Building, 138 Houndsditch, London, EC3A 7AG
• Policy number P8011253
11. We attach a link to our Privacy Policy: