We are committed to providing a high quality legal service and to dealing with all our clients fairly. We acknowledge that we may not always get it right so if something has gone wrong, including in relation to the bill, we need you to tell us.

How do I make a complaint?

You can contact us in writing (by letter, fax or email) or by speaking to Justin Roberts who has overall responsibility for complaints.  He can be contacted on:

To help us to understand your complaint, and so that we do not miss anything, please tell us:

  • your full name and contact details
  • what you think we have got wrong
  • what you think we can do to resolve your complaint, and
  • your file reference number (if you have it)

If you require any help in making your complaint we will try to help you.

How will you deal with my complaint?

We will record your complaint.

We will write to you within seven working days acknowledging your complaint, enclosing a copy of this procedure.

We will investigate your complaint. This will usually involve:

  • reviewing your complaint
  • reviewing 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 to ensure we can deal with your complaint as quickly as possible.

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 on the telephone.

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.

What if I am not satisfied with the outcome?

If you are unhappy with the outcome of our complaints handling procedure please first let us know and we will review the matter.

If you are still unhappy you can ask the Legal Ombudsman to look into your complaint. You can contact the Legal Ombudsman:

The Legal Ombudsman requires you to complain to us first before taking a complaint to them.  If we have not resolved your complaint within eight weeks or you are not satisfied with our handling of your complaint, you may go to the Legal Ombudsman.  The Legal Ombudsman will begin an investigation after this eight week period has finished, or once you have received a final response from us (if this is within the eight weeks).

You must usually refer your complaint within six months of the date of our final written response to your complaint and within one year of the act or omission about which you are complaining; or within one year of you realising there was a concern.

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

Alternative complaints bodies (such as Ombudsman Services, Pro Mediate, and Small Claims Mediation) exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and we wish to use such a scheme.  We have, however, chosen not to adopt an Alternative Dispute Resolution process.  Therefore, if you wish to complain further upon conclusion of our investigation into your complaint, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman.

What will it cost?

We will not charge you for handling your complaint.  The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.

Please note that 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.