Complaints Procedure
Client feedback and complaints
We are committed to providing an excellent standard of service to our clients. We value feedback from clients greatly because it helps us to continually improve our service. If you do not feel that you are receiving an excellent client service, or that something could be improved, please do tell us about it.
How to give feedback or make a complaint
Wherever possible it would be helpful if you could discuss any feedback or concerns with the member of our staff dealing with your matter informally first, as they may be able to resolve your concerns without the need for a formal complaint.
However, if the member of the staff dealing cannot resolve your concern informally, or if the issue is of such a serious or sensitive nature that you do not feel comfortable raising it with them, please feel welcome to raise your concerns with our Complaints Partner, Arshdeep Bhakar as a formal complaint under this policy.
How to make a formal complaint under this policy
To enable us to investigate and provide a thorough response to your concerns, we will need to form a good understanding of the issues.
We would welcome hearing from you by email or by post with a brief explanation of:
- Why you feel dissatisfied with the service you have received
- How you would prefer to be contacted about your complaint going forward.
- If there is anything in particular that you would like us to do to resolve your complaint.
Please write to your concerns to our email info@bhakargreenfield.co.uk or post your letter to 40 Beaufort Court Admirals Way, London, E14 9XL.
If you would prefer not to, or would find it difficult to, send written details of your complaint in this way, please call 020 8098 2895 to speak to our complaints team so that we can discuss the best way for you to give us an understanding of your concerns (for example, by phone, in a face-to-face meeting or video call).
What happens after I have made a complaint under this policy?
We will:
- Send a written acknowledgement of your complaint within 5 working days of receiving it.
- Investigate your concerns diligently, impartially and fairly. This may include reviewing your matter file and related records and discussing the issues with the team who have been working on your matter, and arranging a discussion with you to try to agree how to resolve the issues within 28 days of receiving your complaint.
- Let you know promptly if we need any further information from you to assist our investigation.
- Write to you to provide a formal Final Response to Complaint setting out the conclusion of our investigation and any proposals to rectify or resolve the matter.
- We will ask you to let us know whether we have succeeded in resolving your concerns and, if you accept any proposals made, we will fulfil the proposals promptly.
There is no fee for making a complaint, and we will not charge you for investigating and responding to your concerns.
Your complaint will be investigated and handled independently of your legal matter. This means that if your legal matter is ongoing it will continue to progress as normal and will not be affected or disadvantaged by the complaints process, assuming no conflict of interests has arisen and that you continue to comply with the terms of our engagement as set out in our engagement letter and terms of business.
Do I have to pay my bill if I am complaining?
Our terms of business provide that our invoices remain payable within 30 days, regardless of the investigation of any complaint.
However, please be assured that if the outcome of any complaint investigation concludes that any adjustment or reduction in costs should be made, any reimbursement will be paid promptly at that time.
How long will it take?
We will aim to conclude our investigation and provide our Final Response as quickly as possible. Although we will always aim for sooner, the process may take up to eight weeks from receipt of your complaint.
In exceptional circumstances it may be necessary to extend these timescales. If this occurs, we will let you know in writing and will try to agree any variation with you first.
If your complaint is not resolved within eight weeks, you may be entitled to refer the matter to the Legal Ombudsman at that time.
What if I remain dissatisfied?
If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our Final Response, or in the unlikely event that you have not received a Final Response within eight weeks of receiving your complaint, you may be entitled to complain to the Legal Ombudsman about our service. The Legal Ombudsman will expect you to have exhausted this complaints procedure before referring to them.
The Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints independently and accessing the service will not affect how we handle your case (if ongoing).
Time limits apply to the service, so if you do wish to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman you should not delay once our own complaints process has concluded. In certain circumstances the Legal Ombudsman may exercise discretion to consider a complaint out of time.
Contacting the Legal Ombudsman
The general rule is that you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint.
You can contact the Legal Ombudsman, or find further information about who can use their service and when, via the details set out below.
www.legalombudsman.org.uk
T: 0300 555 0333 between 9.00am to 5.00pm
E: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Post: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH
Calls from both mobiles and landlines to 03 numbers cost no more than calls to national geographic numbers (starting 01 or 02). Calls are recorded and may be used for training and monitoring purposes.
For minicom call 0300 555 1777
In writing: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH
Do not send original documents to the Legal Ombudsman. They will scan any documents you send to make computer copies and then destroy the originals.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for concerns about dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic. You can raise your concerns directly with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/).
If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.
News and insights
