Client Care & Complaints
Our aim is to provide the best possible service. If at any point you have concerns about the service you've received, this page sets out exactly what to do, who to speak to, and how we'll handle it.
What you should expect from us
Client care is central to how we provide our services. Every member of staff shares the responsibility for getting it right. In all our dealings with you we follow these standards.
We will:
- Act in your best interests
- Act with independence
- Act with honesty
- Act with integrity
- Act in a way that encourages equality, diversity and inclusion
We will not:
- Abuse our position by taking unfair advantage of clients or others
- Unfairly discriminate by allowing our personal views to affect our professional relationships
We acknowledge that we may not always get it right. If something has gone wrong — including in relation to our charges — we need you to tell us. This helps us improve our service and, in most cases, resolve the issue at an early stage.
Your right to complain
You have the right to complain to us and you will not be charged for any time spent handling your complaint. You can request a copy of our complaints procedure at any time.
We issue all clients with a copy of this Complaint Procedure:
- On instruction of our firm
- When you raise a complaint
We aim to deal with any complaint we receive promptly, fairly, openly and effectively.
Three ways to raise an issue
We want to give you the best possible service. If you become unhappy or concerned about the service we've provided, please tell us straight away so we can resolve it. Try the steps below in order — most issues are sorted at step one.
Speak to the person handling your case
It's often quickest to raise concerns with the fee earner working on your matter. We'll do our best to resolve any issue at this stage.
Contact their supervisor
If you'd prefer not to speak to the fee earner, contact the person responsible for the overall supervision of your matter. Their name is in the letter of engagement you received at the start of your case.
Contact our Complaints Manager
If steps one and two haven't resolved things, our Complaints Manager — Helen Barry — will take it from there.
Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.
What to include in your complaint
To help us resolve things quickly, please:
- Raise your concerns as soon as possible
- Provide your full name and contact details
- Provide your file reference number, if you have it
- Be clear on what the issue is and how you'd like it resolved
- Allow us up to eight weeks to resolve your complaint
If you need help making your complaint, we will try to assist.
How we handle complaints
We acknowledge — within five working days
You'll receive a written acknowledgement of your complaint within five working days of us receiving it, along with a copy of this policy.
We investigate
We will look into what happened. That usually involves:
- Reviewing your complaint
- Reviewing your file and other relevant documents
- Liaising with the person who dealt with your matter
We may ask you for further information or documents, with a specific deadline. We'll keep you updated on progress.
We may invite you to a meeting
Where it would help, we may invite you to a meeting to discuss your complaint. You don't have to attend if you'd prefer not to — we can also discuss things by phone or video call.
We give you a written outcome
After our investigation, you'll receive a written outcome explaining what we've done and what we propose to do to resolve your complaint. We'll always try to do this within 28 days. Some complaints are more complex and take longer to look into properly — but you'll have our final response within eight weeks of the date we receive your complaint.
Not happy with our outcome? If you're not satisfied with how we've handled your complaint, or if we haven't given you an outcome within eight weeks, you can take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.
Legal Ombudsman
The Legal Ombudsman provides a free, independent service that can investigate complaints about the legal service you've received. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case.
Who can use the Legal Ombudsman?
You can speak directly to the Legal Ombudsman if you fit one of the following categories:
- An individual
- A business or enterprise that was a micro-enterprise (European Union definition) when it referred the complaint
- A charity that had an annual income (net of tax) of less than £1 million when it referred the complaint
- A club, association or organisation managed by its members or a committee, with an annual income (net of tax) of less than £1 million when it referred the complaint
- A trustee of a trust with an asset value of less than £1 million when it referred the complaint
- A personal representative or beneficiary of the estate of a person who had not referred the complaint to the Legal Ombudsman before they died
Try us first. Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you've tried to resolve your complaint with us first.
Time limits
The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made within one year of the act or omission you're concerned about (or within one year of realising there was a concern), and within six months of our final response to you. They may extend these time limits if they consider it fair and reasonable to do so.
Contact the Legal Ombudsman
Solicitors Regulation Authority
For complaints that relate to an alleged breach of the SRA Standards and Regulations — including the SRA Accounts Rules — you should refer the matter to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
The SRA handles things like general misconduct, the loss of client money, or unfair treatment because of age, disability or other protected characteristic. The SRA does not investigate complaints about the services we provide — those are for the Legal Ombudsman. If you refer a service complaint to the SRA, they will pass it to the Legal Ombudsman.
Contact the SRA
Policy v5
Need to talk to someone? We're here to help.
If you'd rather speak to someone in person about a concern, request a callback and we'll put you in touch.