COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Here at Solomon Shepherd Solicitors, we are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to our clients. It is of utmost importance to us to tell us when something goes wrong. This will help us to sort out any mistakes or misunderstandings, and to improve our standards.

Initial concerns

In the main, an informal discussion with the person with conduct of your matter will quickly resolve your concerns.

If it does not, you can formalise your complaint or speak to someone other than the Solicitor or caseworker responsible for your matter. Our complaints partner, Mr Isaac Agyeman – Duah can record everything you are unhappy with and recommend the best solution for you. You can contact him at ia@solomonshepherd.com or 02088010214 between 10.00am and 5.30pm. You should mark any letters of complaint for the attention of Mr Isaac Agyeman-Duah, Solomon Shepherd Solicitors, 1 Fountayne Business Centre, Broad Lane, London N15 4AG.

What we need to know

To deal with your complaint correctly, it would be helpful when contacting us if you could provide the following information:

• Your name, contact details and preferred contact method
• File reference number
• Details of your concerns
• How you would like us to put things right.

What will happen next?

1. If you telephone us, we will endeavour to resolve the issue in that call.
2. If you email or write to us, or if your complaint cannot be resolved in a phone call, we will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within two days of receiving it.
3. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve our complaints partner reviewing your file and speaking to the member of staff who acted for you.
4. Within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter our complaints partner may invite you to a meeting to discuss and resolve your complaint. If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, our complaints partner may instead offer you a chance to discuss the matter by telephone.
5. Within three days of the meeting, or any telephone conversation we have with you instead of a meeting, our complaints partner will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions we have agreed with you.
6. In any case he will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including his suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the written acknowledgement of your complaint referred to in paragraph 1 above.
7. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for someone unconnected with the matter at the firm to review his or an appropriate alternative such as review by another local solicitor to review the decision.
8. 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.
9. If we have to change any of these timescales, we will let you know and explain why.
10. If you are still not satisfied, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ about your complaint. Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of the date of our final written response on your complaint but for further information, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333 or at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk. Note that the Legal Ombudsman service cannot be used by businesses or most other organisations unless they are below certain size limits. Further details are available from the Legal Ombudsman.

If a complaint cannot be resolved, you may also be able to ask for it to be referred to a process of alternative dispute resolution using a certified provider. We are not required to agree to such a request. In any case this is not available to businesses, only consumers. We will give you more information about that right if it becomes relevant

What to do if you are unhappy with our behaviour

The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like:

• Dishonesty
• Taking or losing your money
• Treating you unfairly because of your age, your race or religion, a disability or other characteristic.

The above is not a complete list and so if you do feel like there is something that we cannot help you with, then you may wish to contact them to establish whether or not you can make a complaint to them. Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.