Complaints Procedure

If you are dissatisfied with the service we have provided then you have the right to complain. Before contacting external bodies, you should first give us the opportunity to resolve your complaint.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) can help if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money, or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability, or other characteristic.

Visit their website to see how you can raise concerns with the SRA.

Timescales

We will acknowledge your complaint within up to five working days. We will investigate your complaint thoroughly, including reviewing your file and discussing the matter with relevant members of the firm. We aim to provide a full written response within 14 days, or explain if more time is required. Our response will set out the outcome of our investigation and what steps we have taken or propose to take to remedy the cause of your complaint.

If we are unable to resolve your complaint within eight weeks, or you remain dissatisfied, you may refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. In normal circumstances you are required to register a complaint within one year. You must then give us eight weeks to try to resolve your complaint before contacting the Legal Ombudsman. A complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must normally be made within six months of the date of the conclusion of the Firm’s complaints procedure.

In summary:

• You must register your complaint with us within one year
• The Legal Ombudsman expects you to give us eight weeks to try to resolve your complaint
• After this time, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman (but you must do so within six months)

To register a formal complaint, please write to us and include all the information suggested by the Legal Ombudsman – their website includes some useful resources.

Alternative Complaints Bodies

In addition to the Legal Ombudsman, several other complaints bodies exist which are also able to deal with complaints about legal services – these are: Ombudsman Services, ProMediate, Small Claims Mediation and the European Online Dispute Resolution platform. Information about these alternatives can be found at:

• www.ombudsman-services.org
• www.promediate.co.uk
• www.gov.uk/guidance/small-claims-mediation-service

Data Protection Complaints

If your complaint relates to how we have handled your personal data, you may raise this with us in accordance with the procedure set out above. If we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction you should contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Complaints Procedure: for mediators only

This Complaints Procedure for Mediators supplements our general Complaints Procedure.

This supplemental procedure applies only where:

1. The complaint arises from our provision of services where a staff member of this firm has acted as a mediator
2. The staff member is a Regulated Mediator registered with the Civil Mediation Council (CMC).

It does not apply in any other circumstances and, for the avoidance of doubt, it does not apply where we have acted as mediation advocates representing someone within a mediation.

Should this supplemental procedure conflict with our general procedure, this procedure shall take precedence in the circumstances in which it applies.

All complaints will be acknowledged in writing within five working days of receipt.

If this firm’s response to the complaint is not accepted, the complainant can appeal to the CMC on certain grounds. You should contact the CMC in writing at this address: complaints@civilmediation.org.  You may find further details of the CMC’s Complaints Procedure here. This is in addition to other remedies you may have under this firm’s general Complaints Procedure.