COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

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 service standards.

What will happen next?

1. We aim to resolve your complaints within eight weeks of your notification. We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 5 days of us receiving the complaint, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
2. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to our complaint Managing Officer, Miss Amaka Okafor, who will review your matter and speak to the member of staff who acted for you.
3. Miss Okafor 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 5 days of the meeting, Miss Okafor 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 Okafor will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including her suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 working days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
6. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for the firm’s Quality Representative, Ms Angela Ezeoke to review Miss Okafor’s 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 we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.
9. If you are still not satisfied, you can then contact the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ about your complaint.  You can also e-mail the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk or telephone them on 0300 555 0333 or +44 121 245 3050 if calling from overseas.  For further information, please access the Legal Ombudsman (LeO)’s website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk.
10. Please note there are timelines within which you must make your complaints to the Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case.
    Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:
    1. Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint, and
    2. No more than six years from the date of act/omission; or
    3. No more than three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
    4. For further information, you should contact them in writing using the above address or by telephone on 0300 555 0333
11. If your complaints relate to the conduct or behaviour of any of our staff or representative, then your complaints should be sent to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN or DX 720293 BIRMINGHAM 47
12. Further information on your rights to complain regarding our services or conduct can be assessed on the SRA website.