ACT SOLICITORS
Complaints Handling Policy
We are committed to providing clients with a high quality legal service. If you are dissatisfied with the service provided then we have the following standards for dealing with any complaint:
We will fully investigate your complaint and treat it properly, fairly and impartially
Any compliant made will not have any implications on your current or future dealings with the firm
We will apologise for any mistakes made, provide an explanation as to what happened and put it right wherever possible
We will review our procedures and make changes to the way we do things to avoid the same situation arising in the future
We adopt a two stage complaints procedure, which is detailed below. If we have not resolved the complaint at the conclusion of this procedure then you may complain to the Legal Ombudsman.
Our Procedure
Stage 1
In the first instance, if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the way your case is being conducted, please contact the person who is handling your case. This person will try to help and reach an amicable resolution with you.
Stage 2
If you are not able to resolve your complaint with the person who is handling your file or , if for any reason you do not feel it appropriate to discuss your complaint with them, then you should contact the firm’s Head of Legal Practice, Malcolm Plummer, via email (mplummer@actsolicitors.co.uk ) or by fax or post to our Norwich office. He will then:
Send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within three days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this procedure
Investigate your complaint by reviewing your file and speaking with the person who has acted for you
Send to you a written reply to your complaint, including his suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for either a meeting to take place with you and another director of the firm or for another director to review the matter
We will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
If you are still not satisfied, you can then contact the about your complaint.
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 15870
Birmingham
B30 9EB
Normally, you will need to bring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman (www.legalombudsman.org.uk) within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint or within a year of the act or omission about which you are complaining occurring (or you becoming aware of it).
For further information, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333 or at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk