Complaints Policy
- Our Policy
We strive to provide our clients with the highest quality of service and are continuously exploring ways in which we can improve and enhance the service that we deliver tour clients. If you are not satisfied with our services including our advice, representation or the way we have billed your fees, we would like you to tell us about it at your earliest convenience so that we have an opportunity to resolve the issue as soon as circumstances permit.
- How we respond to concerns and complaints
In any working relationships issues may arise that could lead to client dissatisfaction. In most cases such issues can be addressed to clients’ satisfaction by the fee earner or staff member with whom an issue has arisen. We acknowledge that most clients would appreciate the opportunity to have their concerns dealt with and responded to clearly without the need for raising a formal complaint.
- Informal investigation and resolution
If you experience any issues with the manner in which your case is being handled, we encourage you to raise those concerns, in the first instance, directly with the person who is dealing with your case. They will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your concerns are addressed adequately, and if necessary, they will rely on the guidance of senior members in their department or their supervisor. The lawyer who is handling your case will then advise you regarding the steps that can be taken to resolve the issue(s) you have raised. They will also confirm this to you in writing via email or a letter.
- Timescale
We aim to get in touch with you within 7 days of receiving your concerns – save where the person you have directly contacted is away from the office on annual leave – and to provide you with a written follow up correspondence within 14 days.
In some circumstances, we may require more time to respond to your concerns. This could be because the lawyer handling your matter requires more information from you or another person before responding. In those circumstances, the lawyer will write to you and advise you regarding the extension of time required to respond to your concern.
- Formal Complaint
We acknowledge that there may also be circumstances where your concerns may not be resolved in the informal manner set out above. In these circumstances, we will arrange for a formal complaint investigation to be carried out by the supervisor of the department handling your case.
If you have advised us that you wish to raise a formal complaint to be dealt with a formal investigation, we will adopt the following procedure:
- Acknowledgement
We aim to respond to you within three days of your raising your complaint to acknowledge receipt of your complaint. At this stage, you will usually be contacted by the lawyer handling your case.
- Investigation: Preliminary stage
Your case will be investigated by the supervisor for the department handling your case who will speak to the relevant lawyer and other members of staff if necessary, in order to gather all necessary information regarding your complaint. They will also carry out a review of your case file to get a better understanding of the facts and the circumstances which led to the complaint.
Within 7 days of commencement of the preliminary stage of investigation, the relevant supervisor will write you:
- Setting out a summary of their understanding of the nature and substance of your complaint. They will also invite you to provide your observations if you believe that they have not correctly understood your complaint or if any issues have not been addressed;
- Where a clear and simple solution to your complaint can be offered and agreed with the relevant lawyer, you will be invited to comment on whether any such resolution will be acceptable to you;
- If no straightforward solution can be offered or agreed, you will be invited to confirm the remedy you wish to obtain (if that is not apparent from the subject mater of your complaint);
- You will be provided with a time frame for the investigation.
If you believe that the relevant supervisor has misunderstood any part or aspect of your complaint or if you wish to identify any remedies that you are seeking, please kindly write to the relevant supervisor within 7 days of receiving their initial observations regarding your complaint.
- Determination of your complaint
After you have been provided with the opportunity to respond to the relevant supervisor’s preliminary view, the investigation will be concluded. The relevant supervisor will write to you confirming if or to what extent your complaint has been upheld and advise further on what steps the firm will take in relation to it.
- Escalating your complaint
If, following the conclusion of the informal or informal investigation, you remain dissatisfied, you may contact the Legal Ombudsman. For information on how to contact the Legal Ombudsman, please refer to their website https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk.
Please note that any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman will need to be made within 6 months of receiving the firm’s final response to your complaint.
- Questions
If you still have any questions regarding our complaints procedure, please contact our compliance officer, Miss Mahshid Javaheri at [email protected] for further assistance.
