COMPLAINTS POLICY

Complaints Policy

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.

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.

Silverdale Solicitors’ Complaints Procedure

As a firm we are committed to providing a quality of legal service to all our clients. Consequently, it is essential when something goes wrong, or any client believes they have a reason to complain that we have an effective procedure to assist the complete and early resolution of the problem. Only by doing so we can hope to maintain the quality standards we set ourselves and improve them by learning from what may have gone wrong and what our clients tell us.

The Procedure

Although not essential, in making a complaint it would be helpful to us if you could provide details of your concerns in writing (if you have not already done so).

	What will happen next?	Timescale
1.	We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint, set out our understanding of it and request your confirmation or seek any necessary clarification. We will also confirm who will deal with your complaint.	Within 5 working days of its receipt.
2.	We will register your complaint in out Central Register (for monitoring and management information purposes) and open a separate file.	Within 5 working days of receipt of complaint.
3.	We will acknowledge receipt of you confirmation letter or telephone call and confirm what will happen next.	Within 5 working days.
4.	We will then commence investigating your complaint. This will normally involve the following steps: –
	a) The complaint will be referred to Jawad Amin* our client care partner.	Within 5 working days.
	b) He will ask the person who acted for you to provide him with a response to your complaint within 5 days.	Within 5 working days.
	c) He will then examine the response and the file as against your complaint and, if necessary, speak to the person who acted for you.	Within 5 days of receipt of the response and file.
5.	Jawad Amin will then write to you inviting you to meet with him and discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint.	Within a further 5 days.
6.	If a meeting is declined or is for some reason impractical, Jawad Amin will write to you with a detailed response to your complaint and with any suggestions he has for resolving it to our mutual satisfaction.	Within 5 working days of completing the investigation.
7.	If a meeting between us takes place Jawad Amin will still write to you to confirm what took place and detailing any agreed solution that was arrived at.	Within 3 days of the meeting.
8.	If, after a meeting or from your written reply to Jawad Amin detailed written response, you remain dissatisfied with what he says and how it is proposed to resolve your complaint we will arrange for the decision to be reviewed. This may happen in one of the following ways: –
	a) Another partner of the firm may review Jawad Amin’s handling of your complaint and why you are dissatisfied with the decision.	Within working 10 days
	OR

	b) We may ask our Local Law Society or another local firm of solicitors to review out handling of and the decision on your complaint (if they are willing to do this)	Within 10 working days
	c) We may invite you to agree to a process of formal mediation through an independent mediator (if this is available)	Within 10 working days
	Note: the timescale for concluding the review process at b) and c) above will need to be agreed with the individuals involved but you will be told how long the process will take.
9.	After the review has taken place, you will be informed of the outcome. This will review our initial handling of your complaint and our decision.	Within 10 working days of conclusion of the review
10.	If you still remain dissatisfied with how your complaint has been handled and decision on it, we will write to you confirming our final position on your complaint and explain why we consider out handling of, and decision on, it (and of any review) was reasonable. We will also supply you with the name and address of the Solicitors Complaint Service, the solicitors’ regulatory body to whom you may refer your complaint once we have concluded our professional obligation to try and resolve it.	Within 5 working days
	PLEASE NOTE: changes to any of the above timescales will be confirmed to you with an explanation why.

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 six months of receiving a final response to your complaint;

AND

No more than six years from the date of act/omission; or
No more than three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them.

Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm.

Email: [email protected]

Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ

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.

You may contact them at:

The Cube
199 Wharfside Street
Birmingham
B1 1RN
DX 720293 BIRMINGHAM 47

[email protected]

* Where the complaint concerns the specific conduct of Silverdale Solicitors, it will be referred to LEO and any references Jawad Amin within this procedure should be replaced with LEO.

For further information please contact the Complaints Partner on [email protected]