Complaints
We try very hard to provide legal services of the highest standard. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service we have provided, or with costs or expenses relating to our work, 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 at Workwise Legal who is dealing with your file to discuss your concerns. An informal discussion may well resolve any issues.
If you consider that your complaint is unresolved after speaking to the person at Workwise Legal who is dealing with your file, you can put your complaint in writing to the partner named in the Engagement letter sent to you at the outset of your matter. The complaint handler will acknowledge your complaint in writing, investigate your complaint and respond to you in writing within 21 days, unless there is a good reason to extend the response time. Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.
What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint
We have eight weeks to consider your complaint. If we have not resolved it within this time you may be able to complain to the Legal Ombudsman. This applies if you are an individual, a business with fewer than 10 employees and turnover or assets not exceeding a certain threshold, a charity or trust with a net income of less than £1m, or if you fall within certain other categories (you can find out more from the Legal Ombudsman).
The Legal Ombudsman will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your matter.
Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you wish to raise your matter with the Legal Ombudsman, there are time limits which are a part of the Legal Ombudsman rules which means that you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:
-
within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint;
AND
-
no more than one year from the date of act/omission; or
-
no more than one year from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them.
Contact details:
Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9.00 to 17.00
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Post: PO Box 6167 Slough SL1 0EH
If your complaint is about our costs or expenses, you may be able to apply to the Court to have our costs or expenses checked.
What to do if you are unhappy with our behaviour
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things such as dishonesty, taking or losing your money, or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability, or another characteristic.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority does not deal with client service complaints but may review conduct matters where the SRA Standards and Regulations 2019 have been breached by a firm which they regulate. Upon receipt of any complaint the Solicitors Regulation Authority aims to acknowledge it within 10–15 working days.
To contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority you can:
Telephone: 0370 606 2555 or
Email: contactcentre@SRA.org.uk or
Post: The Cube 199, Wharfside Street, Birmingham B1 1RN.
You can find out more information by visiting www.SRA.org.uk
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
We do not have a specific ADR process but are willing to enter into an ADR process using mediation with a reputable provider, subject to your agreement.
If you would like to understand this process further, please let us know
What will it cost?
We will not charge you for handling your complaint.
Please note that if we have issued a bill for work done on the matter, and all or some of the bill is not paid, we may be entitled to charge interest on the amount outstanding. This is explained in our Terms of Business.
The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.
Please read our Terms and Conditions of Business for more information on these rights and the time limits which apply.