What clients might be suitable for the One Solicitor: One Couple process (also known as Solicitor Neutral or Resolution Together)? I’m delighted to be joined in this blog by Dr Angharad Rudkin, a child psychologist, author and creator of the What...
Introduction
If you are dissatisfied with the service we have provided then you have the right to complain. The Legal Ombudsman service has been operational since October 6th, 2010 and is ultimately responsible for ensuring that complaints are dealt with appropriately.
However, before you contact the Legal Ombudsman you must first register an official complaint with us. Normally, the Legal Ombudsman expects you to give us 8 weeks to try to resolve the matter. If after 8 weeks you are still dissatisfied you can then involve the Legal Ombudsman. For more information on how the Legal Ombudsman works please visit the Legal Ombudsman website.
Timescales
In normal circumstances you are required to register a complaint within one year. You must then give us 8 weeks to try to resolve your complaint before contacting the Legal Ombudsman. A complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must normally be made within six months of the date of the conclusion of the Firm's complaints procedure. In summary:
- You must register your complaint with us within one year
- The Legal Ombudsman expects you to give us 8 weeks to try to resolve your complaint
- After this time, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman (but you must do so within 6 months)
Getting Started
To register a formal complaint, please write to us and include all the information suggested by the Legal Ombudsman - their website includes some useful resources.
In addition to the Legal Ombudsman, several other complaints bodies exist which are also able to deal with complaints about legal services - these are:
You may also choose to make a report to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). This could be if you are concerned about our professional behaviour or conduct, such as for things like dishonesty, deliberately overcharging you, or treating you unfairly because of a characteristic such as your age, sex or a disability.
You can find out how to make a report at https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor or contact the SRA at their details below:
Solicitors Regulation Authority,
The Cube,
199 Wharfside Street,
Birmingham,
B1 1RN
Tel: 0370 606 2555
Mediation Complaints
I hope I will work with you as a mediator in a manner that is satisfactory to you both and that assists you in reaching decisions for the future. I ask that any concern you may have as to my practice or the service provided by me is referred to me in the first instance. If it does not prove possible to settle things using that procedure, you may then refer your complaint to the Family Mediation Standards Board in accordance with its complaints process. Details can be found here: https://www.familymediationcouncil.org.uk/complaints-about-mediators/.
In certain circumstances, it may be possible for you to refer your complaint to another external complaints handler such as the Legal Ombudsman (www.legalombudsman.org.uk) or the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) (www.sra.org.uk). Further information is available on the website links.