Our Complaint Procedure
- You have the right to complain to us.
- You will not be charged for any time spent handling your complaint.
- You can request a copy of this complaint procedure at any time.
We issue all clients with copy of this complaint procedure:
- On instruction of our firm.
- When you raise a complaint.
- At the conclusion of your matter.
- We shall aim to deal with any complaint that we may receive promptly, fairly, openly and effectively.
Making a compliant
FAMILY LEGAL Complaints Procedure
Complaints Handling Policy
Our complaints policy
We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards.
If you have a complaint, please contact us with the details. We have eight weeks to consider your complaint. If we have not resolved it within this time you may complain to the Legal Ombudsman.
What will happen next?
1. We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within three days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
2. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to Miss Julia Brown who will review your matter file.
3. Miss Julia Brown will then invite you to a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. She will do this within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
4. Within three days of the meeting, Miss Julia Brown will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions she has agreed with you.
5. If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, Miss Julia Brown will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including her suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
6. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and Miss Julia Brown will review her own decision.
7. We will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
8. If you are not satisfied with our handling of the complaint, you may refer it to the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH. Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. Any complaint you refer to the Legal Ombudsman must be brought within six months of receiving a 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 the complainant should have realised that there was a cause for complaint. For further information you can contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333 or at www.legalombudsman.org.uk.
9. Normally, you will need to bring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman (www.legalombudsman.org.uk.) within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint or within a year of the act or omission about which you are complaining occurring (or you becoming aware of it).
Where a complaint is referred by a personal representative or beneficiary of the estate of a person who, before they died, had not referred the complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, the period runs from when the deceased should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint; and
b) when the complainant (or the deceased) should reasonably have known there was a cause for complaint will be assessed on the basis of the complainant's (or the deceased's) own knowledge, disregarding what the complainant (or the deceased) might have been told if they had sought advice.
For further information, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333 or at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority
In certain circumstances, you could also refer the matter to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. This could be for things like misconduct, losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.
Website: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/
Phone Number: 0370 606 2555 between 9am to 5pm.
Online: https://www.sra.org.uk/home/contact-us/