Complaints
We seek to provide you with a high quality service in a way that gives you confidence and satisfaction. This complaints guidance applies only to our clients, or people who have client status. If you are not a client of the firm, then a different process applies. Other parties to litigation or other dispute resolution procedures in which one of our clients is a party should usually raise the matter in the relevant proceedings. Otherwise please see the final section below.
If however you have concerns at any stage about the way we have undertaken work on your behalf, we should be grateful if you would please raise those concerns as soon as possible with the lawyer concerned. If you do not feel able to discuss the matter with him or her, then please contact the team manager for the team in which that lawyer works. The team manager will acknowledge your complaint in writing and give you a time scale for responding to your complaint, adapting the following procedure to suit the circumstances. The team manager will either deal with the matter him or herself or ask another senior lawyer to do so, if that is more appropriate.
Most complaints that we receive are resolved in this way.
In the event that you feel unable to speak with the team manager, or are not satisfied with the response, you should write to our Director of Risk John Verry.
Although not essential, it would be helpful to us if you could provide details of your concerns in writing (if you have not already done so). If you would prefer to speak to someone first please contact John Verry and either he or another senior lawyer will contact you to take details from you.
This note gives some guidance about what will happen next together with a guide timetable.
1. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint, set out our understanding of it, and request any necessary clarification. Within three working days of receipt of your complaint.
2. We will then consider who is best placed to deal with the matter and write to give you details. Within 7 days of receipt of your complaint or of any clarification.
3. We will then commence investigating your complaint. This will normally be done by our Risk Director who will review your file and speak to the member of staff who acted for you.
4. You may then be invited to meet us to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. Within 14 days of receipt of your complaint or clarification.
5. If a meeting is impractical or we agree not to meet, we will write to you with a detailed response to your complaint and with any suggestions we have for resolving it to our mutual satisfaction. Within 14 days of receipt of your complaint or clarification.
6. If a meeting takes place we will still write to you to confirm what took place and any agreed solution that was arrived at. Within 3 days of the meeting.
7. If you are still not satisfied you should contact us again and we will arrange for the decision to be reviewed by the senior partner.
8. We will write to you within 21 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons. Within 14 days of your request for a review.
9. If you are still not satisfied with the way we have handled your complaint, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 15870, Birmingham B30 9EB. They will review our handling of your complaint only if you are an individual or small business. If in doubt you should check with the Ombudsman. Complaints to the Ombudsman should usually be made within 6 months of our final decision or 12 months of the date of the situation which has given rise to your complaint. For further information please contact them on 0300 555 0333 or email them at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk, website www.legalombudsman.org.uk
If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why. We wish to respond as flexibly as we can in order to resolve complaints to our mutual satisfaction. We may therefore depart from the procedure above if we feel that the complaint requires it. We will however keep you informed throughout the process.
TLT does not charge for work done in responding to a complaint under this procedure.
This procedure does not apply to cases where you consider that we have been negligent or any other situation where we have a professional obligation to refer you to other solicitors. We will advise you if this is the case.
Complaints should be sent to:
John Verry
Risk Director
TLT Solicitors
One Redcliff Street, Bristol, BS1 6TP
Procedure for non-clients
We can only deal with complaints from non-clients if there is an allegation that we are in breach of the Solicitors' Code of Conduct. If you think this applies then you will need to specifiy the alleged breach before we agree to deal with your complaint. You should write to John Verry at the address in the previous paragraph. We will tell you as soon as reasonably possible if we consider there has been a breach and how we intend to deal with your complaint. At any time or if you are not satisfied with our response then you may ask the Solicitors' Regulation Authority to investigate. Their address is:
Solicitors' Regulation Authority
Ipsley Court
Berrington Close
Redditch
B98 0TD
Telephone: 0870 606 2555
Email: info.services@sra.org.uk
Website: www.sra.org.uk