Our Complaints Policy
We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help to improve our standards.
If you have a complaint, you should in the first instance discuss the matter with the solicitor or executive dealing with your case. In the event that your complaint is not resolved, please write to the managing partner of this firm, James Brotherton, at South Pallant House, South Pallant, Chichester PO19 1TH with full details of your complaint. Your complaint will be acknowledged as soon as possible. It may take some time to fully investigate the matter, but we will handle your complaint following the procedure below.
What will happen next?
- We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within five working days of receiving it.
- We will then fully investigate your complaint, which will include a review of the file and may involve the solicitor or executive dealing with your matter.
- James Brotherton will then invite you to discuss your complaint at a meeting or over the telephone when he will report to you his findings and will endeavour to resolve your complaint. He will do this within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
- Within 7 days of the meeting or telephone discussion, James Brotherton will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions he has agreed with you.
- If you do not wish to have a meeting or telephone discussion, or if for any reason this is not possible, James Brotherton will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including his suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
- If at this stage you are still not satisfied, you should contact James Brotherton again setting out your reasons why you consider that your complaint has not been resolved and your proposals for resolution. The matter will then be further reviewed, as necessary, which may involve another partner in the firm unconnected with your case.
- We 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.
If it does not prove possible to resolve your complaint under the above procedure, you are entitled to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ (www.legalombudsman.org.uk). Normally, you will need to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint or within a year of the act or omission about which you are complaining (or your becoming aware of it). For further information, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333 or at [email protected].