The Company is committed to providing a professional, efficient and courteous service to all our clients. If you feel that we have failed to achieve an acceptable standard of service we want you to tell us. We regard it as an opportunity to monitor and improve our quality of service. We will investigate your concerns objectively and try to generate a positive and speedy solution.
Any expression of dissatisfaction about the service, the level of our fees, or with the way in which we have dealt with any matter will be considered seriously and we will ensure that we respond promptly to any complaint.
Please make us aware following the procedure below.
Procedure
- In the first instance you should contact the Licensed Conveyancer or fee earner dealing with your case. This is usually the person named in the initial letter we sent to you at the start of your matter. You can do this either by telephone, in writing or by email.
- You will receive a letter of acknowledging your complaint within five days of our receiving the complaint, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
- Your complaint will be investigated and you will be invited to a meeting to discuss and, it is hoped, resolve matters within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter. In most cases the person dealing with your matter will be able to resolve your concerns immediately.
- Within three days of the meeting the Licensed Conveyancer or fee earner will write to you to confirm that the meeting took place and any solutions agreed with you.
- If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible we will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including our suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter. We reserve the right to insist upon a meeting if we have concerns about your capacity to make a complaint or about the confidentiality of your affairs being broken.
- At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact the Managing Director to explain why you remain unhappy with the response and they will review your comments. Details of who the Managing Director will be disclosed to you by the Licensed Conveyancer or fee earner who originally dealt with your case.
- The Managing Director will consider your complaint and carry out an investigation and will provide a proposed solution within ten business days. If the matter is complex and it takes longer to deal with your complaint, we will contact you within ten business days to give you an approximate timescale of when you can expect a response. If we believe it would be helpful, we may suggest another meeting.
- If, following investigation by the Managing Director, you remain dissatisfied with the response then your complaint may be referred to Alison Gaddes, our Client Care Manager St. George’s House 7 St. George’s Square Huddersfield HD1 1LA. If there are any circumstances which make it difficult for you to make a complaint in writing, please call Alison Gaddes on 01484 45166 and she will do all she can to assist you. The Client Care Manager will ensure that your complaint about the service provided by The Company Licensed is carefully examined and resolved as quickly as possible.
- The Client Care Manager 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.
Referral to the Legal Ombudsman
If you are not satisfied with the final response from our Client Care Manager you may refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within 12 months of you realising there was a concern and within 6 months of your last contact with our company. The Legal Ombudsman will usually only consider a complaint about the service provided by The Company if our internal complaints procedure has been exhausted.
The Legal Ombudsman’s contact details are as follows:
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
From overseas: +44 121 245 3050
Minicom: 0300 555 1777
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6806
Wolverhampton
WV1 9WJ
You may also be able to make an application for a grant out of the CLC Compensation Fund.