Complaints handling procedure

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.

Our complaints procedure

If you have a complaint about our service or a bill that we have rendered on or both, please contact us with the details.

The person to contact is Ms Sarah Grant and she can be reached at:

1A South Terrace
South Street
Dorchester
DT1 1DE

Tel: 01305 261648
Email: [email protected]

What will happen next?

1. We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 7 days of us
   receiving the complaint, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
2. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint
   to Sarah Grant who will review your file. If another member of staff acted for you, Sarah
   Grant will speak to that member of staff.
3. Sarah Grant will then write to you with a detailed written reply to your complaint. This will
   be done within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
4. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for
   a review.
5. 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.
6. If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.
7. If you are still not satisfied, you can then contact the Legal Ombudsman at:

PO Box 6806
Wolverhampton
WV1 9WJ

Tel: 0300 555 0333 or 0121 245 3050

Email: [email protected]

There are time limits within which complaints must be made to the Legal Ombudsman, as indicated below. Generally speaking, your complaint should be made to the Ombudsman no later than 12 months from when the problem occurred or from when you should reasonably have become aware of the problem.

Additionally, you should make your complaint to the Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final response from us following the complaint that you have made to us. Normally, your complaint needs to fall inside both rules if the Ombudsman is going to investigate it.

You also need to be aware that the Ombudsman only deals with complaints from the following:

(a) an enterprise which, at the time that the complaint is made, is a micro-enterprise within the meaning of arts.1, 2(1) and (3) of the Annex to Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC, as that Recommendation had effect at the date it was adopted;

(b) a charity with an annual income net of tax of less than £1 million at the time at which the complainant refers the complaint to the respondent;

(c) a club, association or organisation, the affairs of which are managed by its members or a committee or committees of its members, with an annual income net of tax of less than £1 million at the time at which the complainant refers the complaint to the respondent;

(d) a trustee of a trust with an asset value of less than £1 million at the time at which the complainant refers the complaint to the respondent;

(e) a personal representative of an estate of a person; or

(f) a beneficiary of an estate of a person.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you, or take action, when solicitors:

• tell lies
• steal from you
• shut down without telling you
• break the Solicitors Regulation Authority rules.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority cannot deal with issues of poor service, such complaints are dealt with by the Legal Ombudsman. Please note that both the SRA and the Legal Ombudsman will only deal with a complaint if you have reported it to us first.