Issues & Complaints

We aim to deal with any complaints promptly, fairly, openly and effectively.

Our definition of a complaint is:

         “any written or verbal expression of dissatisfaction referred to any person in our organisation by a client.

A complaint can be identified through a letter, telephone call, e-mail, and fax or in the course of a face to face conversation.

A complaint may involve:

• Dissatisfaction with the handling of a case;
• Disappointment with an alleged lack of communication;
• Frustration with an alleged lack of case progress;
• An allegation of discrimination; or
• Dissatisfaction with the outcome of the case.

However, issues of a very minor nature, for example, not returning a non-urgent telephone call until the following day will not be recorded as a complaint.

It is the policy of the firm that:

• Every complaint made by a client is reported and recorded centrally;
• Every complaint received is responded to appropriately;
• The cause of the problem is identified, appropriate redress is offered, and
• unsatisfactory procedures are corrected.

We inform clients in writing at the outset of their matter of their right to complain and how complaints can be made.

We also inform clients in writing, both at the outset of their matter and at the conclusion of our complaints procedure (where the complaint has not been settled or dealt with to a client’s satisfaction) of their right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman, the time frame for doing so and full details of how to contact the Legal Ombudsman.

When a client makes a complaint we send them our standard letter which sets out our complaints handling procedure, outlining the relevant stages and timescales.  Where appropriate, we shall ensure that our procedure is tailored in response to the needs of our individual clients, especially those who are vulnerable

We report and record every complaint made centrally. All complaints are referred to Nadeem Ullah in the first instance, who:

Reviews the matter with any staff member involved;

• Identifies the cause of any problems of which the client has complained
• Determines what degree of validity the complaint has; and
• Decides how the complaint should be resolved.

Where Nadeem Ullah identifies a potential negligence claim or where a client, claims financial loss, compensation or threatens legal action, the case must in conjunction with our insurers, decide whether we should continue with this complaints procedure or adopt some other course of action.

We inform clients if we discover any act or omission which could give rise to a claim by them against us but before doing so fee earners must refer any such cases to their supervisor for advice. If the supervisor agrees that the circumstances of the case could give rise to a claim then the case must be referred immediately to Nadeem Ullah who will decide, in conjunction with our insurers, what information should be provided to the client.

Nadeem Ullah will offer the client, appropriate redress and recommend amendments to unsatisfactory procedures where appropriate.

Any complaints made where Nadeem Ullah had conduct of the matter are referred to Abida Kalsoum.

Nadeem Ullah keeps details of all complaints received in a central record. Copies of any documents/correspondence showing how each complaint is resolved are also retained on the central record.

As sole Director Nadeem Ullah has overall responsibility for handling complaints and carries out an analysis of the central record of complaints annually. Following this review, he decides whether any action can be taken to improve our services. The results of the review (i.e. any trends identified and action proposed) are documented.

Nadeem Ullah is responsible for the operation of this procedure.  He will review it annually to verify that it is an effective operation.

If you have an issue you would like to raise you can do so here

1. 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 have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:
  • within six months of receiving our final response to your complaint;

and

• no more than one year from the date of act/omission; or
• no more than one year from the date when the complainant should have realised that there was a 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

Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH

• Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) bodies exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and our firm wish to use such a scheme.

• 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 like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.
  • Visit its website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority at sra.org.uk
• 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 Client Care letter and Terms of Business.
  • The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.