We want to give you the best possible service. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service we have provided then you should inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.
In the first instance it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues at this 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.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour or think we have breached one of the SRA’s Principles. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money, treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic or acting when there is a conflict of interest.
You can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
What do to if we cannot resolve your complaint
The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case.
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 one year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within one year of you realising that there was a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you.
If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them.
Contact details
Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm.
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ
Complaints Procedure
Step One
If you have not already done so, please let Mary Cleaver know the full nature of the problem. You can do this by emailing me at mcleaver@oslers.co.uk or by writing to Mary at Oslers, Office 6 Signet Court, Swann Road, Cambridge CB5 8LA. If your complaint is about Mary, then please email Claire Lockwood on Claire.lockwood@oslers.co.uk or by writing to Claire at 99 Ipswich Street, Stowmarket, IP14 1BB
Step Two
I will write to you acknowledging your complaint within three working days.
Step Three
Mary (or Claire) will investigate the matter by reviewing the matter file and speaking to the member of staff concerned within 5 working days of acknowledging receipt of your complaint. If for some reason your complaint cannot be investigated within this timeframe when we will write to you to notify you of this together with the reason why and giving a revised timeframe. Once the investigation has been completed, I shall invite you to a meeting to discuss the issue(s) you have raised and hopefully resolve the complaint. This meeting will take place within fourteen days of sending you the acknowledgement letter. Following the meeting Mary will write to you within five working days of the meetings to confirm our discussion and the solutions agreed upon.
Step Four
If you do not want to or are unable to attend a meeting, I am happy to send you a detailed written response including a proposed solution within fourteen days of the letter acknowledging your complaint.
Step Five
If you are satisfied with our response at either Step Three of Step Four above, then that will be the end of the matter. However, if you remain unsatisfied, we will arrange for you to meet with a member of staff unconnected with the matter to review my response. He/she will write to you within fourteen days of receiving your request with confirmation of the firm’s final position in relation to your complaint, outlining the reasons and any final redress that is offered.
Step Six
If we have been unable to resolve your problem in the 8 weeks that we have to consider your complaint then you can ask the Legal Ombudsman to become involved. Details above.