Walker Thomas Solicitors

Complaints Handling Policy, Our complaints policy

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.  This will help us to improve our standards.

If you have a complaint, please contact us with the details.

What will happen next?

  1. We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within three days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
  2. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to our Complaints Partner, Dave Hughes, who will review your matter file and speak to the member of staff who acted for you.
  3. Dave will then invite you to a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. He will do this within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
  4. Within three days of the meeting, Dave will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions he has agreed with you.
  5. If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, Dave will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including his suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
  6. If, after having exhausted our complaints procedure, you still remain dissatisfied with the outcome you should direct your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman, contactable at PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ or by telephone on 0300 553 0333 or by email at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk. Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must be made within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint or within six years of the act or omission about which you are complaining occurred (if outside of this period, within three years of when you should reasonably have been aware of it). Please note, some clients may not have the right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman but this will be explained to you if applicable to your matter.
  7. There are also alternative dispute resolution schemes that exist such as the ADR Group (160 Fleet Street, London, EC4A 2DQ, Web address: www.adrgroup.co.uk, Email: casemanagement@adrgroup.co.uk, Phone: 020 3600 5050) should we both wish to use such a scheme. Generally, we do not choose to use them.
  8. If the work was undertaken by a Costs Lawyer, who is regulated by the Costs Lawyers Standards Board (CLSB), then they (CLSB) can investigate complaints about that Costs Lawyer’s professional conduct. The CLSB will consider complaints made within twelve months of the date on which the matters giving rise to the complaint occurred or the date on which you first became aware that you had grounds for the complaint. This period can be extended in exceptional circumstances. It should be noted that the CLSB will usually expect you to allow us to try and resolve your complaint first. The CLSB can be contacted at Centurion House, 129 Deansgate, Manchester, MW3 3WR or by telephone on 0161 214 7904 or by email at enquiries@clsb.info

If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.

Legal Ombudsman,
PO Box 6806
Wolverhampton
WV1 9WJ

Telephone: 0300 555 0333. Email enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of the date of our final written response about your complaint or within 6 years of the act or omission about which you are complaining occurring (if outside of this period, within 3 years of when you should reasonably have been aware of it).  Please be aware we have eight weeks to consider your complaint and provide you with a final written response; accordingly, the timescales in paragraphs 4 and 5 above may be subject to change. If that happens, we will let you know and explain why. If we have not resolved it within this time you may complain to the Legal Ombudsman. Please note, some clients may not have the right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman but this will be explained to you if applicable to your matter.