Complaints procedure

We aim to offer all our clients an efficient and satisfactory service and we trust we will do so in this case. If however there is any aspect of our service with which you are unhappy, and which you cannot resolve with the lawyer acting for you, you may raise the matter with Mrs Foot, the Principal in the firm with responsibility for dealing with complaints or if Mrs Foot is acting for you, with the firm’s Senior Principal Mr Walkington. We will give our final response, but if that is not done within 8 weeks, and you are not satisfied with our handling of your complaint you can ask the Legal Ombudsman to consider the complaint.

Normally, you will need to bring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint and within either one year from the date of the complained of activity, or one year from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint, although the Ombudsman will have discretion to extend this if it considers it fair and reasonable to do so.

The Legal Ombudsman service cannot be used by businesses or most other organisations, unless they are below certain size limits. The Solicitors Code of Conduct can be found at www.sra.org.uk. The Legal Ombudsman’s website is www.legalombudsman.org.uk and their phone number is 0300 555 0333. The Legal Ombudsman’s address is Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH and by e mail, enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk. Alternatively you may be able to apply to the Court for an assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974, in which case the Legal Ombudsman may not consider your complaint.

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 them htttps://www.sra.org.uk/