Complaints Handling Policy & Procedure

If you have a complaint, please contact us with the details. Initially, please contact the person with conduct of the work being undertaken for you, or alternatively, the Client Complaints Solicitor who, in relation to customer service, reports directly to the Client Care and Supervisory Partner, whose name will have been notified to you in our Service Plan. The Client Complaints solicitor will investigate your complaint personally and will liaise with the Partner in charge of the office or department responsible for the work undertaken on your behalf.

So far as it relates to issues of customer service, the Client Complaints Solicitor reports directly to the Client Care and Supervisory Partner, who is ultimately responsible for such matters on behalf of the firm.

The Client Complaints Solicitor is Marina Clinnick, who may be contacted at our Southampton (Hedge End) office using the following details: marina.clinnick@ericrobinson.co.uk or 02380 226891.

What will happen when I make a complaint?

1. We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint and will also send you a copy of this procedure. We will endeavour to do this within 7 days of receiving your complaint.
2. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to the Client Complaints Solicitor, who will review your file and liaise with the relevant Client Care and Supervisory Partner. If appropriate, the Client Complaints Solicitor will also speak to the member of staff who acted for you. In some cases, it may be necessary for us to ask you for further information or clarification as to the nature of your complaint.
3. We will then invite you to a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. We will try to do this within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
4. Within 7 days of that meeting, we will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions or remedies that have been agreed with you.
5. Within 7 days of that meeting, we will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions or remedies that have been agreed with you.
6. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for another Partner in the firm who has not been involved in your complaint, to review the decisions reached.
7. We will write to you within 21 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint, and explaining our reasons.
8. If you are then still not satisfied, you may choose to contact the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ, about your complaint. You may also contact the Legal Ombudsman by telephone on 0300 555 0333 or by email at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk (website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk). The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within one year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within one year of your realising there was a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final written response to your complaint. Alternative complaints bodies exist, which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services, but we do not agree to their use.
9. If you have concerns about the professional conduct of your solicitor or any member of our staff assisting with your matter, please raise this as a complaint in the first instance by following this complaints handling procedure.  Alternatively, or if you remain dissatisfied, you may choose to contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority at The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham B1 1RN or by email to report@sra.org.uk (website: www.sra.org.uk).
10. If we must change any of the time scales noted above, we will let you know, and explain why.