We are committed to providing a high-quality service to all our clients. When something goes wrong, we encourage you to tell us about it. This will help us to maintain and improve our standards.
Client Information
All clients are informed at the start of our engagement about their right to complain. Details of our complaints procedure are provided in our Client Engagement Letter, including how to raise a complaint and the contact details of the Legal Ombudsman should you remain dissatisfied after our internal process.
The Legal Ombudsman can accept complaints from individuals and, in certain circumstances, small businesses, charities and trusts.
Making a complaint
You can make a complaint verbally or in writing to the fee earner dealing with your matter. 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 them at the office detailed in the client care letter or alternatively you can contact our complaints partner at: -
Unit B1, Waterfold House, Waterfold Park, Bury, BL9 7BR.
Telephone: 0161 763 1000
Email: [email protected]
You must set out details of your complaint.
If you require this procedure in an alternative format or need assistance in making a complaint, please let us know.
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 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 fee earner) and require them 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 receiving your complaint.
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 of receiving your complaint.
4. If you are dissatisfied with the Investigating Officer’s detailed response to your complaint, you should write to the complaints partner to confirm this. They will then convene a meeting with you on a mutually convenient date, usually within 14 days from the receipt of your letter. At that meeting they will consider your complaint and within 7 days thereafter, write to you setting out the firm’s response to the meeting.
5. The complaints partner’s letter will conclude the Internal Complaints Procedure. If, at that stage, you are still dissatisfied, you may seek advice or assistance from the Legal Ombudsman.
Time Limits
6. If the Fee earner 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. If the Fee earner 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 from the date the complaint was received by us.
8. If the Investigating Officer is absent from the office through illness, holiday or other cause, for a continuous period of 14 days after the Fee earner 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.
What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint
9. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, you have the right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman within 6 months of our final response letter.
Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:
- Within six months of receiving our final response to your complaint
- No more than one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or
- No more than one year from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint.
You can contact the Legal Ombudsman by:
Telephone: 0300 555 0333 Minicom: 0300 555 1777
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Post: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ
Reporting concerns to the SRA
10. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) can help if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could include concerns about dishonesty, discrimination, or breaches of SRA Standards and Regulations. You can contact the SRA at www.sra.org.uk
11. We attach a link to our Privacy Policy: https://www.asthampsons.co.uk/node/100