Complaints

Trethowans is confident of providing a high quality of service and, to this end, we comply with professional standards for solicitors. If, however, you have any concerns relating to the way in which your matter is being dealt with please raise them with the supervising partner or team leader (details of which are set out in your client care letter) and subsequently, if you remain dissatisfied, with Jamie Earley who is the firm’s Client Care Partner – details of our complaints procedure is set out below.

POLICY STATEMENT

COMPLAINTS HANDLING AND REPORTING POLICY AND PROCEDURE

1 OUR COMPLAINTS POLICY

1.1 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, so that we can sort it out if you are right.

2 WHAT IS A COMPLAINT?

2.1 A complaint is an oral or written expression of dissatisfaction which alleges that the complainant has suffered (or may suffer) financial loss, distress, inconvenience or other detriment.

2.2 If you are unhappy with the service provided or you are dissatisfied with anything we have done or failed to do for you, you must feel free to complain to us. Even if you are just worried or confused, please feel free to use this complaints handling procedure. Making a complaint will not prejudice anything we are doing for you. You may also use this complaints procedure if you think that we have been unreasonable in refusing to act for you.

3 OUR COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

3.1 If you have a complaint, please contact us with full details so that this may be fully investigated. We would like complaints to be in writing either by letter addressed to the Client Care Partner at The Pavilion, Botleigh Grange Business Park, Southampton SO30 2AF or email to [email protected]

3.2 If you cannot put your complaint in writing or do not want to do so, please telephone our Client Care Partner Jamie Earley on 023 8082 0545. If your complaint is about Jamie Earley‘s work please address your letter directly to our Managing Partner Mike Watson.

4 WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?

4.1 We hope it is obvious, but we will not charge you for dealing with your complaint.

4.2 We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your written complaint normally within two days of receipt. We will acknowledge verbal complaints within the same period.

4.3 We will then investigate your complaint. This will be undertaken by our Client Care Partner, Jamie Earley, sometimes with assistance from the relevant Team Leader.

4.4 Jamie Earley will either send to you a detailed written reply including, if appropriate, our suggestions for resolving the matter or invite you to a meeting to discuss your complaint, normally within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgment.

4.5 In the event of a meeting, within seven days Jamie Earley will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions he has agreed with you or proposes.

4.6 If your complaint is upheld we will acknowledge this and explain what we think is an appropriate and proportionate response. Where appropriate this may involve a remedy (which might be financial or non-financial) that we believe compensates you for the loss and/or inconvenience that you have suffered.

4.7 If you are dissatisfied with the Client Care Partner’s decision you will have a right to appeal to the Complaint Appeals Partner Paul Longman which can be made in writing to him at The Pavilion, Botleigh Grange Business Park, Southampton SO30 2AF or by email [email protected]. If you prefer to telephone the contact number is 023 8032 1000.

4.8 Paul Longman will then review the Client Care Partner’s written reply and respond to you within 21 days from receipt of your appeal. Where appropriate you may be invited to a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint.

5 FURTHER OR OTHER RIGHTS OF REDRESS

Legal Ombudsman

5.1 We usually have a maximum of 8 weeks in which to give you a final response and if you are not satisfied with either the Client Care Partner’s or Paul Longman’s decision you would normally then have 6 months (running from the end of the 8 weeks or our earlier final response) to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. If by the end of the 8 week period we have not given you a final response you have the option of referring your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman or waiting for our final response. If you decide to wait you will normally have 6 months from the date of our final response to complain to the Legal Ombudsman. If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.

5.2 You may want to look at the Legal Ombudsman website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

You can contact the Legal Ombudsman on:

Tel: 0300 555 0333 or write to him at PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ or email them at [email protected].

5.3 The Legal Ombudsman normally deal with cases where you are unhappy with the work or service provided by a solicitor which may or may not need to be put right.

5.4 From 1 April 2023, the Legal Ombudsman will normally only accept complaints that are made:

and you have referred the complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within 6 months of our final response.

5.5 Alternative complaints bodies (such as ProMediate – www.promediate.co.uk) exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and our firm wish to use such a scheme. As a firm we have decided as a matter of policy not to engage in resolution via Alternative complaints bodies as we believe our internal complaints procedure and the availability of the Legal Ombudsman are sufficient.

Solicitors Regulation Authority

5.6 The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour.

5.7 You can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority in writing to Solicitors Regulation Authority, The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN or by telephone on 0370 606 2555. Its’ website is www.sra.org.uk