Complaints Process

13 Feb Complaints Process

Our commitment

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, or about the bill, 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 are unhappy about any aspect of the service you have received, or about the bill, please contact us by post to our office at Heron House, 39-41 Higher Bents Lane, Bredbury, Cheshire, SK3 1EE or by telephone 0161 872 9999 or email info@howardssolicitors.com.

Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.

What will happen next?

1. We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within three days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this procedure.

   2. We will investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to our Client Care Partner/Director Mr Oliver Gardner who will review your matter file and speak to the member of staff who acted for you.

2. We will then invite you to a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. We will do this within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
3. Within three days of that meeting we will write to you to confirm what took place and outline any solutions that have been agreed with you.
4. If you do not want a meeting, or it is not possible, you will be sent a detailed written reply to your complaint, including the suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgement latter.
5. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will

arrange for another Partner within the firm to review the decision.

7. 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.
8. If you are still not satisfied with our handling of your complaint, or if we have not resolved it within eight weeks, you can ask the Legal Ombudsman (see below) to consider the complaint. Contact details are as follows:

PO Box 6806
Wolverhampton
WV1 9WJ
t 0300 555 0333
e enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
w www.legalombudsman.org.uk

9. 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.

10. If we have to change any of the above timescales, we will let you know and explain why.

Complaints about your bill

The above complaints procedure also applies to complaints arising concerning our bill. There may also be a right to object to the bill by applying to the court for an assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974; and that if all, or part, of a bill remains unpaid, the firm may be entitled to charge interest.

Raising concerns with our regulator

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) 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 find information about raising your concerns with the SRA at www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/.

Last updated: February 2023