AWB CHARLESWORTH SOLICITORS

COMPLAINTS HANDLING PROCEDURE

Our complaints policy

We are committed to providing a high quality 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.

Our complaints procedure 

If you have a complaint about the service we have provided, or our invoice, please contact us with the details.

What will happen next?

1.	We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 7 days of our receiving the complaint, and with the acknowledgement we will enclose a copy of this procedure.

2.	We will then investigate your complaint.  This will normally involve passing your complaint to Felicity Green (Director), who will review your file and speak to the person who acted for you.

3.	Mrs Green 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 acknowledgment letter.

4.	Within 7 days of the meeting, Mrs Green 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 to have one, Mrs Green 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 Mrs Green again and she will arrange for an alternative Director unconnected with your file to review the 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 still not satisfied, you have the right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman.

9.	If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman’s service including time limits in using it, please contact them directly.  The contact details of the Legal Ombudsman is set out at the end of this procedure.

10.	You should not send original documents to the Legal Ombudsman – they will scan any documents you send them to make computer copies then they will destroy the originals.

11.	Whether or not you make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, you may also have a right to object to our invoice(s) by applying to the court for an assessment of our invoice(s) under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974.

12.	You can also make a complaint to the Solicitors Regulation Authority if you have concerns about the conduct of any solicitor or firm of solicitors. The contact details can be found at the end of this procedure.

13.	The Firm will not charge for dealing with your complaint but if all or part of an invoice(s) remains unpaid, we may be entitled to charge interest.

If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.

Useful contact details
Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm.
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ

Visit: www.sra.org.uk 
Call: 0370 606 2555
Email: contactcentre@sra.org.uk 
Solicitors Regulation Authority The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN