Complaints Procedure

Our commitment

We aim to give every client a high standard of service. If something has gone wrong, we want to know so that we can put it right and improve the way we work.

You will not be charged for the time we spend investigating or responding to a complaint, and raising a complaint will not affect the service you receive.

What you can complain about

You can raise a complaint about any aspect of our service, including:

• The quality of the advice or work provided
• Delays or a failure to respond
• The way you have been treated by a member of our team
• Our fees or the way they have been explained to you
• How your personal data has been handled

Step 1: Raise it with the person handling your matter

In many cases the quickest way to resolve a concern is to speak to the person handling your matter. They will try to resolve the issue with you directly.

Step 2: Make a formal complaint

If you are not satisfied, or would prefer not to raise the issue with the person handling your matter, you can make a formal complaint to our Complaints Manager:

Please include:

• Your name and contact details
• Your matter reference, if you have one
• What has gone wrong
• What you would like us to do to resolve it

If you would prefer to raise your complaint by telephone or in a meeting, let us know and we will arrange this.

What happens next

1. We will acknowledge your complaint in writing within 3 working days and tell you who is dealing with it
2. We will investigate your complaint. This will normally involve reviewing your file and speaking to the people involved
3. We may contact you to clarify any points or to ask for further information
4. We will send you a written response within 21 days of acknowledging your complaint, setting out our findings and any action we propose to take. If we need more time, we will tell you why and give you a revised date. In all cases we will provide a final written response within 8 weeks of receiving your complaint
5. If you are not satisfied with our response, tell us within 14 days and we will reconsider the complaint and confirm our final decision in writing

Step 3: The Legal Ombudsman

If we have not resolved your complaint to your satisfaction within 8 weeks of you raising it with us, or if you are unhappy with our final response, you may be able to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman is an independent body that deals with complaints about service provided by barristers and other legal practitioners.

You must refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

• Within 6 months of receiving our final written response, and
• Within 1 year of the act or omission you are complaining about, or within 1 year of the date you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint

The Legal Ombudsman can consider complaints from individuals, small businesses (with fewer than 10 employees and turnover or balance sheet total below the relevant threshold), charities, clubs, associations and trusts within its financial limits. If you are unsure whether you are eligible, contact the Legal Ombudsman directly.

Complaints about professional conduct

The Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints about service. If your concern relates to professional conduct or behaviour, you can report it to our regulator:

Complaints about our fees

If your complaint is about our fees, you may also have the right to apply to the court for an assessment of the bill. The Legal Ombudsman may not consider a complaint about a bill if you have already applied to the court for assessment. If any part of a bill remains unpaid, we may be entitled to charge interest.

Complaints about your personal data

If your complaint relates to how we have handled your personal data and you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113. See our Privacy Policy for more information.

Alternative dispute resolution

Alternative dispute resolution bodies exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and we wish to use such a scheme. We will confirm at the conclusion of our complaints process whether we agree to use an alternative dispute resolution scheme in your case.

Contact us

If you have any questions about this procedure, please contact our Complaints Manager using the details above.