Complaints Handling
We want to give you the best possible service. However, if at any point you become unhappy with the service we have provided to you or you have concerns about your bill then you should inform us immediately so that we can do our best to resolve the problem for you.
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 full complaints procedure which is set out at the bottom of this page. Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.
SRA
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help 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.
Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Legal Ombudsman
What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint
The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case.
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
and
- 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.
For more information contact the Legal Ombudsman
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6167
Slough
SL1 0EH
Our Complaints Procedure
If you have a complaint, please contact Mark Soulsby, our Client Care Partner. You can contact him at 4 Brunel Way Segensworth Fareham PO15 5TX. If we have to change any of the responsibilities or the timescales set out below we will let you know and explain why.
What will happen next?
- Within three days we will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint and asking you to confirm or explain any details. If it seems appropriate we will suggest a meeting at this stage. We will also let you know the name of the person who will be dealing with your complaint.
- We will then record your complaint in our central register and open a file for your complaint. We will also investigate your complaint by examining the relevant file.
- If appropriate we may invite you to meet with Mark Soulsby to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. We would hope to be in a position to meet with you in this way no longer than 14 days after first receiving your complaint. If an appointment is not made to meet to discuss your complaint or if we cannot arrange an appointment within an agreeable timescale, we will write fully to you setting out our views on the situation and any redress that we would feel to be appropriate.
- Within three days of any meeting we will write to you to confirm what took place and any suggestions that we have agreed with you. In appropriate cases we could offer an apology, a reduction of any bill or a repayment in relation to any payment received.
- At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, please let us know. We will then arrange to review our decision. We would generally aim to do this within 10 days. This will happen in one of the following ways.
- Mark Soulsby will review his own decision; or
- We will arrange for someone in the firm who has not been involved in your complaint to review it.
- We will let you know the result of the review within five days of the end of the review. At this time we will write to you confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons. If you are still not satisfied, then you can have the complaint independently looked at by the Legal Ombudsman about your complaint. We very much hope that this will not be necessary, however if this is the case please see the information above.