Complaints

HOW TO COMPLAIN

We have set ourselves certain standards of service to ensure the quality of our work and services are maintained.   We have asked our Governing Body to check those Standards are in place and we now hold Lexcel Accreditation.

Accordingly, if in any way our standard of service has fallen short of that which can be expected, then we have a system for dealing with it.

This Page tells you about the process.

If you have a complaint about the service which you, as a Client, have received from this Company, then please follow these 3 Steps.

STEP ONE

Please write first of all to the person who we told you was responsible for your matter.  This would have appeared in one of the first letters we wrote to you.  We will need your full name and address for identity purposes and your Case Reference Number (the 5 numbers found on correspondence shown as our reference). We cannot always deal with complaints without this information.

We will respond within five working days, quicker if possible.

If you do not feel able to raise your concern with that person then please move on to Step Two

STEP TWO

If you do not receive a response with which you are satisfied within 7 working days then you should write to Mrs Alison Chidlow at The Old Transport House, 54 Chester Road East, Shotton, Flintshire CH5 1QA

She will need

  1. your full name and address for identity purposes and
  2. your Case Reference Number (the 5 numbers found on correspondence shown as our reference).
  3. as much detail of the service (about which you were not happy) as possible
  4. your suggestion for resolving the complaint.

This information should be put in a letter which can also be sent by email to alison@eaharris.com    We cannot accept complaints over the telephone or via the Contact Us Page. Please note Alison Chidlow is not a Lawyer and has no authority to discuss or answer any questions about the work undertaken.

However she will :-

  1. Acknowledge your letter of complaint within 5 working days
  2. Investigate your complaint
  3. Arrange to refer the complaint to the Managing Director or Senior Solicitor
  4. Request a thorough examination of the file of papers
  5. Take evidence from the Lawyer who acted on your behalf
  6. Possibly invite you to provide some additional information within a specified time limit; and
  7. Respond to your letter of complaint within 21 calendar days.

STEP THREE

If you are still not satisfied with how your complaint has been handled and the decision on it, please ask us to review it. Within 10 working days, we will write to you confirming our final position on your complaint, explaining why we consider our handling of it, and our decision (and the result of any review), were reasonable.

If you remain dissatisfied at the end of our complaints process, you can have the complaint independently looked at by the Legal Ombudsman, whose address is PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ – (0300 555 0333)  Their e-mail address is enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk. Their website is at www.legalombudsman.org.uk

The Legal Ombudsman will investigate all complaints Subject to certain conditions:-

  1. Your application for investigation must be lodged within 6 months of our Final Response

AND

2. You must register your complaint with them within 6 years from the date of the problem happening, provided it is no more than 3 years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) can help if you are concerned about the way we acted for or treated you. For example: Being dishonest, taking or losing your money, or treating your unfairly because of your age, disability, gender or other characteristic. To contact the SRA and raise your concerns go to

www.sra.org.uk

Making a Complaint will not incur a Fee. Please note however that if we have issued an Invoice and all or some of it is not paid, we may charge interest under our Standard Terms & Conditions from 14 days after the Invoice was sent to you.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is available through other providers. As we provide a recognised process for resolving complaints we do not subscribe to or take part in ADR other than that mentioned above.