Complaints Handling Procedure

1. Complaints Policy

1.1 We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service and dealing with all clients fairly. If you are not completely satisfied with the service you receive, we need you to tell us about it so that we can address the issue promptly and fairly. This also helps us to improve our standards.

2. What is a complaint?

2.1 We regard a complaint as any oral or written expression of dissatisfaction about the service we have provided, where you believe you have suffered, or may suffer, financial loss, distress, inconvenience or other detriment.

2.2 Complaints may be made in writing, by email, by telephone or in person. You do not need to use the word “complaint” for us to treat your concern as a complaint.

3. Data protection complaints

3.1 This procedure deals with complaints about the legal service we have provided.

3.2 If your complaint relates to the handling of personal data, confidentiality, a data subject rights request, or a suspected personal data breach, we may deal with that complaint under our separate Data Protection Complaints Procedure. Where appropriate, we will explain this to you and refer the matter to the person responsible for data protection within the firm.

4. What is the cost of dealing with a complaint?

4.1 There is no charge for investigating and dealing with your complaint.

5. How to raise a complaint

5.1 If you have a concern, you are welcome to raise it informally with the person dealing with your matter in the first instance. We will do our best to resolve the issue at the earliest opportunity.

5.2 If you would like to make a formal complaint, please contact our Client Care Manager, Julianne Hamling. You can do this by letter, email or telephone: julianne.hamling@hpjv.co.uk

5.3 To help us understand your complaint, please tell us:

1. your full name and contact details;
2. what you think has gone wrong; and
3. what you hope to achieve as a result of your complaint.

6. Acknowledging your complaint

6.1 We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 days of receiving it.

6.2 Your complaint will be recorded on the firm’s central complaints register.

7. Who will deal with your complaint?

7.1 Your complaint will normally be dealt with by Julianne Hamling, Client Care Manager. We reserve the right to ask another appropriate person, including a Director of the firm or an independent third party, to investigate or review the complaint where this is appropriate.

8. How we will investigate your complaint

8.1 We will investigate your complaint fairly, promptly and impartially. This will normally involve:

1. reviewing your complaint and any documents you have provided;
2. reviewing your file or relevant records;
3. asking the person who acted for you to respond to the points raised; and
4. speaking to any relevant members of staff or supervisors.

8.2 We may need to ask you for further clarification, information or documents. If so, we will explain what we need and ask you to provide it within a reasonable period of time.

9. Our response to your complaint

9.1 We aim to provide our written response within 28 days of acknowledging your complaint.

9.2 Our response will explain:

1. what we have investigated;
2. our conclusions;
3. any action we have taken or propose to take; and
4. any remedy or resolution we are offering, where appropriate.

9.3 If we need more time to investigate your complaint properly, we will write to you to explain why and tell you when we expect to provide our response.

10. Review by a Director

10.1 If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our response, you should contact us again and explain why you remain unhappy. We will arrange for a Director of the firm to review the matter where appropriate.

11. Legal Ombudsman

11.1 If we are unable to resolve your complaint, you may be able to ask the Legal Ombudsman to consider it independently. The Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints about service issues with lawyers.

11.2 Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will usually check that:

1. you have complained to us first; and
2. we have had up to 8 weeks to resolve your complaint.

11.3 The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be referred to them:

3. within one year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned; or
4. within one year of the date when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

11.4 You must also refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final written response to your complaint.

11.5 The Legal Ombudsman may have discretion to accept a complaint outside these time limits where it considers it fair and reasonable to do so.

11.6 You can contact the Legal Ombudsman at:

Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Post: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH

12. Solicitors Regulation Authority

12.1 The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help if you are concerned about our professional behaviour. This may include concerns such as dishonesty, misuse of client money, treating you unfairly, or serious breaches of regulatory obligations.

12.2 You can raise concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority at: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor

13. Alternative Dispute Resolution

13.1 Alternative complaints bodies may be competent to deal with complaints about legal services if both you and the firm agree to use such a scheme.

13.2 We do not agree to use an alternative dispute resolution scheme. If you remain unhappy after we have dealt with your complaint, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman.