Complaints Procedure

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. When something goes wrong, we need our clients to tell us about it. This will help improve our standards. Whenever possible, please raise any initial client care problems with the person acting on your case to give them the opportunity of resolving matters with you. Often, matters can be quickly resolved in this way.

If you are unhappy about any aspect of the service you have received, or about the bill, please write or email the Risk and Compliance team at National Legal Service, Dowgate Hill House, 14-16 Dowgate Hill London EC4R 2SU or on feedback@nationallegalservice.co.uk Tel: 0203 601 5051.

To help us to understand your complaint, and in order that we do not miss anything, please tell us:

• Your full name and contact details
• What you think we have got wrong
• How you would like your complaint to be resolved; and
• Your file reference number (if you have it).

Our Procedure

1. The Risk and Compliance team will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint. You can expect to receive the letter within five working days of us receiving your complaint. You will be advised within this acknowledgement of who will be reviewing your complaint.
2. The Risk and Compliance team will record your complaint in our central register and will then start to investigate your complaint. This will normally involve the following steps:
   • The allocated investigator will be passed your complaint within five working days. They will then commence an investigation which will likely involve the following steps:
     • Reviewing your complaint;
     • reviewing your file(s) and other relevant documents; and
     • liaising with the person who dealt with your matter
   • We may also need to ask you for further information or document. If so, we will ask you to provide the information within a specific period of time
   • We will write to you at the end of our investigation setting out our findings in relation, and any steps that we propose to take to resolve your complaint within fifteen working days.
   • In case of complex or exceptional circumstances in your complaint we will aim to reply within twenty working days and you will be notified in writing of the additional investigation time required.
3. If you are still dissatisfied you should contact us again in writing within five working days from our response to your complaint and we will arrange for Kirsty Richards, the Director and Head of Family to review the decision. Should we not hear back from you within this time we will consider the complaint resolved.
4. If your complaint is escalated to the Director and Head of Family of the firm to review the decision, we will write to you within fifteen working days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
5. If you feel that we were unable to satisfactorily resolve the problem you have the right to take the matter to the Legal Ombudsman to consider the complaint. The Legal Ombudsman will usually ask if you have already made a formal complaint to us. The Legal Ombudsman contact details are as follows:

The Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6167
Slough SL1 0EH
0300 555 0333
enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Normally, you will need to bring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint and within the following timescales:

• one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or
• one year from the date when the complainant should have realised that there was cause for complaint.
• If we have to change any of the above timescales, we will let you know and explain why.

Alternative dispute resolution

Alternative complaints bodies exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and our firm consent to use such a scheme. In the event that you wish to use an alternative complaint body you should advise us and we will then state if we agree.

Complaints in relation to bills

The procedure above also applies to complaints arising concerning our bill. There may also be a right to object to the bill by applying to the court for an assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974; The Legal Ombudsman may not consider a complaint about a bill if you have applied to the Court for assessment of that bill.

Raising concerns with our regulator

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) 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 find information about raising your concerns at: 
www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/.