Complaints
We are committed to high quality legal advice and client care.
If you are unhappy about any aspect of our service or about the bill, we want to know about it and put things right, so please contact the person dealing with your case initially. If you would prefer not to contact the original case handler, or that is not successful, please contact our managing partner Chris Stevenson (chris.stevenson@chris-stevenson.co.uk).
Our complaints procedure is available on request. Please let us know if you have any special needs in relation to language or arising from a disability (e.g. large print).
We will respond to your complaint within eight weeks. If it is not resolved to your satisfaction within that time you may complain to the Legal Ombudsman. If you are not satisfied with the way in which we have dealt with your complaint, you can ask the Legal Ombudsman to consider it.
The most common complaint types The Legal Ombudsman deals with are:
– Costs – where the costs were unclear or not advised appropriately or timely.
– Delay – if there is no clear reason or explanation provided for the work taking longer than expected.
– Poor information – a process wasn’t well explained, or there wasn’t enough information for a consumer to make an informed choice.
There are some circumstances where The Legal Ombudsman cannot help. Please see the examples below:
– The Legal Ombudsman cannot give legal advice or recommend a legal service provider.
– The Legal Ombudsman cannot help an individual with a complaint about somebody else’s service provider.
– The Legal Ombudsman cannot stop a service provider taking legal action to recover outstanding costs while a complaint is awaiting investigation, or if the complaint is in the process of being investigated.
– The Legal Ombudsman cannot insist that the service provider releases a file or documents from a case file where there are outstanding costs.
– The Legal Ombudsman cannot change or influence decisions made by a Court or other complaint schemes.
– If an individual has been refused a service, The Legal Ombudsman cannot insist a service provider takes that individual on as a client.
The Legal Ombudsman’s contact details are as follows: www.legalombudsman.org.uk. Call 0300 555 0333 between 8.30am to 5.30pm. For minicom call 0300 555 1777. Email enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk. Postal address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough SL1 0EH.
The Legal Ombudsman asks that you do not send original documents as they scan any documents they receive and then destroy what has been sent.
Making a Complaint to The Solicitor’s Regulation Authority (SRA)
If you are concerned about your solicitor’s behaviour, The Solicitor’s Regulation Authority (SRA) can help you, or take action. The SRA investigates serious or repeated cases of poor behaviour or conduct. A list of examples can be seen below. This list is not exhaustive.
– Dishonesty or fraud
– Misuse of client money
– Sexual or violent misconduct
– Misleading the court or others (for example, about what has been done on a case or about the evidence)
– Taking unfair advantage of you or others (For example, a solicitor persuades someone who doesn’t have a legal adviser to sign an unfair settlement agreement, letting them think that it is in their interests and that they don’t need independent legal advice.)
– Discriminating against you or others
– Serious concerns about the solvency of a firm (i.e., employees have not been paid)
– Failing to act in the best of interests of a client, including the firm/solicitor acting for another client whose interests conflict or putting their own interests first
– Conduct relating to serious criminal offences
– Failing to take steps needed to safeguard against money laundering
– Seriously reckless or incompetent behaviour or a pattern of behaviour that puts you (as a client), your money or your case at risk
If you report a firm to the SRA, the SRA check if there is a serious breach of their rues that they need to investigate. The SRA doesn’t investigate all the reports they receive. If The SRA does decide to investigate, they will collect and review evidence. If the SRA do not decide to investigate, they will clearly explain the reasons to you.
To decide if they need to investigate the reports they receive, The SRA apply an Assessment Threshold Test.
Further information can be found at the following link:
SRA | Making decisions to investigate concerns | Solicitors Regulation Authority
If you’re thinking about reporting a solicitor or firm to The SRA, it is recommended by The SRA that you read the guidance at the following link:
SRA | Reporting a solicitor or firm to us | Solicitors Regulation Authority
This information will help you make sure that you’re contacting the right organisation. And it will let you make sure your concerns are something The SRA are able to help with.
Anyone can make a complaint to the SRA about a solicitor or a firm. This includes members of the public, clients, employees and employers, as well as other regulators.
How to Report to The SRA
If you would like to submit a complaint to The SRA having read their guidance information, the below form should be completed:
If you have a disability and need help to report your concerns, or would like to ask for a printed copy of The SRA report form to complete and return, The SRA should be contacted at:
Address:
Contact Centre
The Cube
199 Wharfside
Birmingham
B1 1RN
DX 720283 BIRMINGHAM 47
Telephone: 0370 606 2555
Email: contactcentre@sra.org.uk
The SRA requires the following information to decide if they will investigate a report:
– the solicitor’s or firm’s name and work address
– why you think a solicitor or firm may have breached The SRA rules, including the date(s) when the event(s) took place
– copies of documents – such as letters, emails, bank statements or court documents – that show the actions and events you are concerned about
– the names and addresses of anyone else who witnessed or was involved in the events
– the outcome and a copy of any decision or outcome if you have already contacted another organisation about the matter
– your contact details.
The SRA do not need:
– you to tell them which rules of conduct you think the solicitor or firm breached
– your whole case file or every document you have about the case. (You need to send to The SRA only copies of documents that you think show the solicitor or firm did something wrong.)
The SRA will decide if they need to investigate based on the information you give them. The SRA may need to ask you or the solicitor or firm for more information to help them decide whether to investigate.
If The SRA decide to investigate, they are likely to share details of your concern with:
– the solicitor(s) concerned
– their firm
– other regulators or organisations that could help our investigation
– any independent expert The SRA use.
The SRA will need to use your information to investigate your concerns. If you don’t want The SRA us to use their information to investigate, you need to let The SRA know why. The SRA may still use your information in the interests of protecting the public, but they have a duty to let you know before they do.