Complaints Handling Policy

We are committed to providing a high quality legal service and to dealing with all our clients fairly. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us improve our standards.

How to make a complaint

1. If you have a complaint, please contact Simon Arthur. We would prefer you to put your complaint in writing so that we can keep a permanent record. To help us to understand your complaint, and so we do not miss anything, please tell us:

  • your full name and contact details and your file reference number (if you have it); and

  • what you think we have got wrong and what you hope to achieve.

Where possible, we will try to resolve your complaint within 21 days.

2. If you would prefer not to make your complaint to Simon, please ask us for an alternative and we will supply you with the necessary contact information.

What will happen next?

3. Within two working days of our receiving your complaint, we will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint and asking you to confirm or explain the details of your complaint (if necessary).

4. Within one working day of receiving your complaint, we will record it in our central register.

5. Within three working days, we will acknowledge any reply you make to our acknowledgement letter and confirm what will happen next.

6. We will then start to investigate your complaint. This will usually involve reviewing your complaint, your file(s) and other relevant documents and speaking with the person who dealt with your matter. We may also need to ask you for further information or documents. If so, we will ask you to provide the information within a specific period of time.

We will update you on the progress of your complaint at appropriate times.

We may also, if appropriate, invite you to a meeting to discuss your complaint. You do not have to attend if you do not wish to or if you are unable to. We will be happy to discuss the matter with you over the telephone.

7. We will write to you at the end of our investigation to tell you what we have done and what we propose to do to resolve your complaint. Where possible, we will aim to do this within 21 days of the date of our letter of acknowledgement, or let you know why this time period has to vary if this is not possible.

What if I am not satisfied with the outcome?

8. If you are unhappy with the outcome of our complaints handling procedure, please first let us know and we will review the matter again or seek to agree a suitable alternative with you, for example, a review by another local solicitor or mediation.

9. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, then you can have the complaint independently looked at by the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints about service issues with solicitors. You can contact the Legal Ombudsman:

The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within one year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within one year of you realising there was a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you.

Further details are available on the website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk.

10. If your complaint relates to a bill, then you have the right to apply to the court for an assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. Further information about your rights in this regard is set out on our bills. The Legal Ombudsman may decide not to consider any complaint you have about a bill which has already been referred to the court for assessment.

11. If your complaint relates to our conduct, you may wish to make a complaint to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. You can contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority:

  • by post at SRA Report, The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham B1 1RN;

  • by telephone on 0370 606 2555; or

  • by email to reports@sra.org.uk.

12. Alternative complaints bodies such as Small Claims Mediation (www.small-claims-mediation.co.uk) exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and our firm wish to use such a scheme. When we write to you, we will confirm whether or not we agree to use Small Claims Mediation.

What will it cost?

13. We will not charge you for handling your complaint, but if we have issued a bill for work done on the matter, and all or some of the bill is not paid, we may be entitled to charge interest on the amount outstanding. The Legal Ombudsman service and Solicitors Regulation Authority service are free of charge.