Complaints Procedure
We want to give you the best possible service. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about our service we endeavour to ensure that you feel comfortable raising concerns about the service you have received.
You should inform us immediately so we can do our best to resolve them.
In the first instance, it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your matter, to discuss your concerns, and we will do our best to resolve any issues at that stage. If you would like to make a formal complaint then you can read our full complaints procedure below.
Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case and we aim to ensure complaints are managed effectively and reasonably.
Making a complaint
You can register the complaint with the person dealing with your matter or the Client Care Partner, Neil Puttock (np@footner-ewing.co.uk). He is responsible for ensuring that complaints are handled effectively and in accordance with this procedure.
If the complaint is about the Client Care Partner, then you can register the complaint with our Practice Manager and partner Amanda Warren (aew@footner-ewing.co.uk).
Prospective Clients
This procedure will also apply to prospective clients to whom we have refused to provide a service or persistently or unreasonably offered an unwanted service if you have evidence to show that we did not have reasonable grounds to do so.
Investigating the complaint
We have eight weeks to consider your complaint.
We will reply to you, usually, in writing, informing you of our views on the complaint and how we propose to resolve it, hopefully to your satisfaction, including appropriate redress.
This could include a reduction in fees if appropriate or compensation as a gesture of goodwill. You will also be advised in what timescale you will be given an initial/substantive response.
We will record and report centrally your complaint(s).
We will identify the cause of any problems to which you have complained offering appropriate redress and correcting any unsatisfactory procedures.
If for any reason we are unable to resolve the problem between us within eight weeks, then you may ask the Legal Ombudsman to consider the complaint.
Please be aware that any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of your having received a final written response from us about your complaint. Complaints to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within one year of the act or omission about which you are complaining occurring; or within one year from when you should have known about or become aware that there were grounds for complaint.The Legal Ombudsman may be able to extend this time limit where it is fair and reasonable to do so.
Legal Ombudsman
The Legal Ombudsman is an independent body established by the Legal Services Act 2007 to deal with complaints against Solicitors.
The Legal Ombudsman may:
• Investigate the quality of professional service supplied by a solicitor to a client.
• Investigate allegations that a solicitor has breached rules of professional conduct.
• Investigate allegations that a solicitor has unreasonably refused to supply a professional service to a prospective client.
• Investigate allegations that a solicitor has persistently or unreasonably offered a professional service that the client does not want.
Before it will consider a complaint the Legal Ombudsman generally requires that the firm’s internal Complaints Procedure has been exhausted. If the Legal Ombudsman is satisfied that the firm’s proposals for resolving a complaint are reasonable, it may decline to investigate further.
The Legal Ombudsman’s address is:
PO Box 6167 Slough SL1 0EH; telephone, 0300 555 0333; website, www.legalombudsman.org.uk; or email enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
The Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.
You can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
