Client Complaints Procedure

Client Complaints

We are required to operate a complaint handling procedure which ensures that clients are informed of their right to complain, to whom to complain and the time-tabling of their complaint.

All members of staff, and not just Fee Earners should be aware of the procedure set out below.

A complaint is any dissatisfaction made in relation to the legal services, client care or complaint management process provided by this firm where a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected.

A complaint can relate to inadequate professional services, negligence, misconduct, or on rare occasions, criminal conduct.

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients.  When something goes wrong, we need clients to tell us about it as this will help us improve our standards.

If a client has a complaint to make, they are informed in the firm’s client care letter how to respond and can, on request, be given a copy of the firm’s complaints handling policy.

Complaints Procedure

• A letter acknowledging receipt of a client’s complaint will be sent within three days of receiving it enclosing a copy of the firm’s complaints handling procedure policy.
• Full details of the complaint must be maintained on the complaint form (see Attached) as the process progresses and a copy kept on the client file.
• The complaint will then be investigated. This will normally involve passing the complaint to either NJF or BSC who will review the complaint and speak to the member of staff who acted for the client.
• The person handling the complaint will then invite the client to a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve the complaint within 14 days of acknowledging receipt of the complaint.
• Within 3 days of the meeting the person handling the complaint will write to the client to confirm what took place and any solutions that had been agreed with the client.
• If the client does not want a meeting or it is not possible, the person handling the complaint will send the client a detailed written reply to the complaint including suggestions for resolving the complaint within 21 days of acknowledging receipt of the complaint.
• At this stage if the client is still not satisfied the client will be invited to arrange for another person or someone unconnected with the matter at the firm, to review the decision.
• Within 14 days of receiving any request for a further review, a letter will then be sent to the client confirming the firm’s final position on the complaint giving reasons.
• If the client is still not satisfied and wishes to take the complaint further they must be advised to contact the Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH, or legalombudsman.org.uk. The Legal Ombudsman will only normally consider a complaint if.

1. The client refers the complaint within 1 year of the problem happening and/or 1 year after finding out about it and
2. The client refers the complaint within 6 months of our final written response.

Complaints Review

The firm at all times aims to avoid complaints by the following procedures set out within this manual and exercising appropriate client care and professionalism at all times.

To assist with the above, the central file of complaints is reviewed on an annual basis to identify the number of complaints occurring, their type and their significance and any trends.  A note of the outcome or conclusions reached is made on the complaints register.  The firm will endeavour to support personnel subject to any complaint but if training or other remedial action cannot overcome problems which may exist, personnel will not be left to cope with work for which they are unsuited.

Owen Nash – Client Complaint Form