COMPLAINTS HANDLING PROCEDURE

• Clients will be invited to raise any matter of concern or any complaint with the fee-earner handling their case.  This may include a concern about the amount of our bill.

• If they do not receive satisfaction or they do not wish to raise it with the fee-earner concerned they will be invited to raise the matter with the partner responsible for dealing with complaints (Robert Smith).

• He will open a file for the complaint and record it in the firm’s central register.

• He will begin investigating the complaint and immediately advise the client how long that it is likely to take.

• As part of the investigation we may take the following steps:
• ask the member of staff who acted to comment on the complaint;
• examine the reply and the information in the complaint file
• respond to the client.  This may either be a full response or a request for further information.

• The client will be invited to meet Robert Smith to discuss and (it is hoped) to resolve the complaint.

• Following the meeting we will write to the client to confirm what took place and any suggestions we have agreed with them.

• If the client does not want a meeting or it is not possible to hold one, we will send the client a detailed reply to the complaint.  This will include our suggestions for resolving the matter.

• At this stage, if the client is still not satisfied, they will be invited to contact us to ask us to review the decision.  This will happen in one of the following ways:
• Another partner in the firm will review the decision; or if for any reason that is not appropriate in the circumstances, or
• The client will be invited to agree to independent mediation.

• The client will be notified of the result of the review.  The client will also be told our final position on the complaint and an explanation of our reasons.  At the same time they will be given the contact details of the Legal Ombudsman  and told they can contact them if still not satisfied (together with details of time limits).

• At each stage of the complaint the client will be notified of the likely time required to deal with that stage.