Our aim in handling work matters and complaints

 

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. If something goes wrong or you are unhappy with our services, we need you to let us know without any delay.  This will assist us in improving our service.  We can assure you that if you complain about any aspect of our service  you will not be charged for any time needed to resolve a complaint.

In the first instance, if you have a complaint, please send us written details (by email is best) to the solicitor with whom you feel you have the closest relationship. If you have not dealt directly with the principal of this firm, please contact Archin Talpade, who is the person ultimately responsible for supervising your matter. All complaints received by us are recorded in a register kept by this firm (the “Register”).

After investigating the issue that you may have, it is possible that we can quickly resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, in which case we will record our agreed resolution in writing to you and within our Register, within 7 to 14 days of your first contacting us.

If we cannot resolve matters informally between us then the next steps are as follows:

1. Archin Talpade will then investigate your complaint further, who will:

• send you a formal letter confirming receipt of your complaint (within five to seven working days of you requesting us to investigate your complaint by this firm) and enclosing a copy of this procedure; and

• if at all practicable, we reserve the right to nominate a senior solicitor including from another external firm, with whom we maintain consultancy arrangements and confidentiality arrangements and who is unconnected with your matter, to review your matter file and discuss the member of staff who acted for you (and you give us your explicit consent to do so).

2. Archin Talpade or the senior solicitor whom we agree will be nominated to investigate your complaint will then invite you to a meeting (or video conference or telephone conference) to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. They will do this within 14 to 21 days of us sending you the confirmation letter.
3. Within three to five days of the meeting (or video conference or telephone conference), the solicitor who met with you will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions they may have agreed with you.
4. If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, Archin Talpade will deal with your complaint and will send you a written reply to your complaint, including his proposal to resolve your complaint, within 28 days of our sending you a confirmation letter.
5. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should (by letter or email) contact Archin Talpade, and he, or a solicitor he nominates, including an external solicitor who is a consultant to his firm, will review the decision.
6. The reviewing solicitor will write to you within 28 days of receipt of your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
7. If you are still not satisfied with our decision then you can then contact the Legal Ombudsman as follows:

• Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

• Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

• Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

• Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6167 Slough SL1 0EH
• 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:
  • Within six months of receiving our final response to your complaint; and
  • No more than one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or
  • No more than one year from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint.
• If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them.
8. 8.The Solicitors Regulation Authority

• Information relating to reporting concerns about an individual or a firm to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) is available on the SRA website.
• Please note that the SRA does not deal with complaints about poor service. Further information is available here
• and they may be contacted at:
  Solicitors Regulation Authority
  The Cube
  199 Wharfside Street
  Birmingham B1 1RN
  Tel: 0370 606 2555