Complaints Procedure
We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. If something goes wrong, or you become unhappy about the service we have provided, we need you to tell us about it. This will allow us to investigate the matter and hopefully resolve your complaint and allow us to continually improve our standards.
Client Concerns
If you have any concerns with how your matter is being dealt with, please raise this in the first instance with the person who has day-to-day responsibility of your matter, or with their supervisor (details of who to contact will be contained in the “client care” or “welcome” letter sent to you at the start of your case).
Please provide the full details of your concerns over the telephone or in writing.
A note will be taken of the issues raised, which will be investigated with a view of resolving the matter to your satisfaction.
This process resolves most concerns satisfactorily, without the need for any further action to be taken.
As we are keen to continually improve our standards and client care, feedback is always appreciated.
Formal Complaints procedure
If we are unable to resolve your concerns through the team dealing with your matter, a formal complaint can be made to our Client Care Partner – Andrew Parascandolo.
If you wish to raise a formal complaint, please email full details to Mr Andrew Parascandolo at: ap@powell-eddison.co.uk or alternatively write to us at: Powell Eddison Solicitors, Raglan House, Raglan Street, Harrogate, HG1 1LE.
What will happen next?
1. We will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint and ask you to confirm or explain any further details which may be needed. We endeavour to reply within two working days of us receiving your complaint.
2. We will record your complaint in our central register and open a file for your complaint.
3. We will then start to investigate your complaint. This may involve one or more of the following steps and will be done within 14 days of receipt of the complaint:
If your complaint is straightforward, we might make suggestions as to how we can put things right or offer some form of redress.
If your complaint id more complicated, we may ask you to confirm, explain or clarify an issue.
We may arrange to meet with you or speak to you on the phone. If we do discuss matters face to face, we will write to you within 2 working days of the meeting to confirm what took place and any solutions we have agreed with you.
If you prefer not to meet, or if we are not able to arrange this within the agreed timescales, we will send you a detailed reply to your complaint. This will include our suggestions for resolving the matter. Whichever form the investigation takes, we will aim to give you our final decision within 8 weeks of receiving your Complaint (or sooner if possible).
4. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, please let us know and your complaint will be reviewed by another partner in the firm within 21 days. We will let you know the result of the review within five working days of the end of the review. At this time, we will write to you confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
Legal Ombudsman
If you are still not satisfied, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman about your complaint. They will look at your complaint independently and if your case is ongoing, it will not affect how your case is handled.
Before considering your complaint, the Legal Ombudsman will check with you that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. Any complaint made to the Legal Ombudsman must be made within certain time limits:
Within 6 months of receiving our final response to your complaint; and
No more than 6 years from the date of the act/ omission about which you are complaining; or
No more than 3 years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
You can contact the Legal Ombudsman service at:
Phone: 0300 555 0333
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ
Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
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 or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.
Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority: www.sra.org or call them on 0870 606 2555.
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