This firm’s complaints policy
As a firm we are committed to providing a quality legal service to all our clients. Consequently, it is essential when something goes wrong or any client believes they have reason to complain that we have an effective procedure to assist the complete, early, resolution of the problem. Only by doing so can we hope to maintain the quality standards we set ourselves and improve them by learning from what may have gone wrong and what our clients tell us.
The Procedure
Although not essential, in making your complaint it would be helpful to us if you could provide details of your concerns in writing (if you have not already done so). Your complaint should be addressed to the Firm’s Client Care Partner, who is Andrew Stockton and who works from the firm’s office at 61-63 Church Street, Leigh, Greater Manchester, WN7 1AY. Upon notification of a complaint the steps set out below will be taken:
DOOTSONS LLP COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
| 1. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint, set out our understanding of it and request your confirmation or seek any necessary clarification. We will also confirm, at this stage, who will be dealing with your complaint. | Within 3 working days of receipt |
| 2. The complaint will be registered in our Central Register (for monitoring and management information purposes). | Within 7 working days of receipt of complaint |
| 3. We will acknowledge receipt of your confirmation letter or telephone call and confirm what will happen next. | Within 7 days of receipt |
4. We will then commence investigating your complaint. This may involve one or more of the following steps:-
(a) the person who acted for you will be asked to provide a response to your complaint within 21 days of receipt of it.
(b) the response will then be examined, by the Head Of Department, together with the file and your complaint and, if necessary, further information will be sought from the person who acted for you. | Within 7 days of receipt |
| 5. You may then be invited to meet the Head of Department to discuss, and hopefully resolve your complaint or alternatively the fee earner will write to you direct responding to the complaint. | Within a further 7 days |
| 6. If a meeting between us takes place we will still write to you to confirm what took place and any agreed solution that was arrived at. | Within 7 days of the meeting |
| 7. If, at a meeting or from your written reply to our detailed written response, you remain dissatisfied with what we said and how we proposed resolving your complaint we will arrange for our decision to be reviewed. This may happen in one of the following ways :- (a) The Head of Department may review his own or the fee earner’s handling of your complaint and why you remain dissatisfied OR (b) by arranging for someone else or a small number of people in the firm who are entirely unconnected with the complaint to review the complaint, the response, the file and any other relevant information, how the complaint was handled and the decision on it OR (c) Andrew Stockton, our Client Care Partner may review the complaint by taking the steps set out at (b) above.
Note: the timescale for concluding the review the process above will need to be agreed with the individuals involved but you will be told how long the process will take. Should it not be possible as a result of the complexity of the complaint, to respond within the time limits given we will tell you immediately and agree new timescales with you. | a) Within 7 days
b) Within 14 days
c) Within 14 days |
| 8. After the review has taken place you will be informed of the outcome. This will review our initial handling of your complaint and our decision on it. | Within 7 days of the conclusion of the review |
| 9. If you remain dissatisfied with how your complaint has been handled and the decision on it, we will write to you confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining why we consider our handling of, and decision on it (and of any review) was reasonable (if that is the case). If you remain dissatisfied, you may submit a complaint to The Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806,Wolverhampton.WW1 9WJ. Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within 6 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 refer to www.legalombudsman.org.uk) OR To the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority, the Solicitors’ regulatory body on 0121 239 6800 or refer to www.sra.org.uk.
Please note: changes to any of the above timescales will be confirmed to you with an explanation of why. | Within 7 days |
