Complaints Policy 
and Procedure

This policy is our stated intention for the assessment, handling, and investigation of client complaints.

Our Policy

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal standards and services to all our clients. To ensure our standards and service remains high and that we continually improve, we have a procedure through which clients can let us know, for whatever reason, they are not satisfied with the service they have received.

It is our aim to:

• Provide a fair and clear complaints procedure which is straight forward to use for anyone wishing to make a complaint.
• Ensure that all complaints are handled fairly, consistently, and wherever possible resolved satisfactorily for all parties involved.
• Make sure all complaints are investigated fully and in a timely manner.
• Deal with all complaints promptly, respectfully and, where appropriate, confidentially.
• Make sure that everyone at Atkins Dellow knows what to do if a complaint is received.
• Take the appropriate action based on the outcome of our investigation.
• Learn from complaints, use them to improve our service and review our complaints policy and procedure.

Complaints Procedure

Making a complaint.

1. Please speak to the person responsible for your case or put your concerns to them in writing by email or letter to ensure that your concerns are resolved as quickly as possible. Please don’t hesitate to raise any concerns immediately they arise.

2. If you prefer not to speak to them about a complaint, please speak with or write to our Complaints Partner – Nicola Clayton. If the complaint concerns Nicola Clayton, it will be handled by Emily Isted or another Partner if appropriate.

• On raising a complaint we will acknowledge receipt and invite you to a meeting or to discuss the issues within 3 working days.
• We will confirm the outcome of the meeting or telephone call in writing.
• We will internally investigate the issue and write to you with the outcome/outcomes within 21 days of the meeting or telephone call.
• We will review and close the complaint within 8 weeks of receiving the complaint.

Still not satisfied?

The SRA

You can also complain to the Solicitors Regulation Authority if you are concerned about our behaviour such as dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, disability or other characteristic.

You can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Download their reports form and provide them with the information they need to investigate your complaint. There is no time limit to your complaint, meaning that at any point after your matter has ended with us you can complain to the SRA.

The Legal Ombudsmen

If you are unhappy with how the SRA have dealt with your complaint, you can complain to the Legal Ombudsman, who are responsible for dealing with complaints about legal professional bodies.

The time limits for referring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman are not later than:

1. Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint. and;
2. One year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or
3. One year from the date when a complainant should have realised that there was cause for complaint.

The Legal Ombudsman’s contact information is:
Legal Ombudsman,
PO Box 6167,
Slough,
SL1 0EH.
Telephone number: 0300 555 0333
Email address: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Full details of the Ombudsman’s scheme Rules can be found on the Ombudsmen’s website.
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Alternative complaints bodies such as Promediate (http://www.promediate.co.uk/what-we-do/what-is-mediation) exist which may be utilised to deal with complaints about legal services should both parties (you and us) agree to use such a scheme.

We will always endeavour to deal with your concerns as quickly as possible, in the unlikely event that we are unable to provide a response in the timescale we have outlined we will get in touch and explain why.