Sills & Betteridge LLP Complaints Handling Procedure
Our Complaints policy
We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards.
Our Complaints procedure
If you have a complaint, please contact us with the details.
What will happen next?
- The person dealing with your case concerned will make every effort to resolve the problem or misunderstanding with you as quickly and as efficiently as possible. We would like you to try to resolve the problem or misunderstanding with the person dealing with your case concerned in the first instance. However, we acknowledge that in some cases this may be difficult. In those cases you would contact the Department Head informing him or her of your complaint. The Department Head would then endeavour to solve the problem with you directly.
- If the person dealing with your case cannot resolve the problem or misunderstanding then they will consult with the Department Head and complete a client complaints form which will outline the details of the complaint in full. The Department Head will then contact you to talk to you in more detail about your complaint and try to resolve the problem with you.
- If unfortunately you have not been able to resolve your complaint with the person dealing with your case or Department Head then we will conduct a full investigation into your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to our client care partner, John Mitchell, who will review your matter and speak to the person dealing with your case who acted for you.
- John Mitchell will then invite you to a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. He will do this within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
- Within three days of the meeting, John Mitchell will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions he has agreed with you.
- If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, John Mitchell will send you a detailed 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 another partner to review the decision.
- 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 Legal Ombudsman in writing to PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ informing them of your complaint. Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of the date of our final decision on your complaint but for further information, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman (0300 555 0333) or email enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk or refer to the website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk.
If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.
