Complaints Procedure

 

STEPHEN MOORE & CO

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

 

Our complaints procedure is as follows:

Step One:

If you have not already done so, please let us know the full nature of the problem. You can do this by emailing Clare Fitzpatrick at Northampton@stephenmooresolicitors.co.uk or Catherine Brockway at rugby@stephenmooresolcitors.co.uk or writing to us at 45 York Road, Northampton, NN1 5QJ or 34 Regent Place, Rugby CV21 2PN.

Step Two:

We will write to you acknowledging your complaint within three working days. In this letter, we will confirm what happens next.

Step Three:

We shall then investigate the matter by reviewing the matter file and speaking to the member of staff concerned within five working days of acknowledging receipt of your complaint.  If, for some reason, the matter cannot be investigated in this timeframe, then we will write to you notifying you of this together with the reason why and giving a revised timescale. Once the investigation has been completed, we shall invite you to a meeting to discuss the issue(s) you have raised and hopefully resolve the complaint.  This meeting will take place within fourteen days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.  Following the meeting, we shall write to you within five working days of the meeting to confirm our discussion and the solution agreed upon.

Step Four:

If you do not want to or are unable to attend such a meeting, we are happy to send you a detailed, written response, including the proposed solution, within fourteen working days of sending you the letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint.

Step Five:

If you are satisfied with the response in either Step three or four above, that will be the end of the matter.  However, if you are not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for another Partner to review the decision.   She will write to you within fourteen days of receiving your request with confirmation of the firm’s final position in relation to your complaint, outlining the reasons and any final redress that is offered.

Step 6:

We have eight weeks to consider your complaint. If for any reason we are unable to resolve the problem between us within that timeframe, then you may ask the Legal Ombudsman to consider the complaint.  The Legal Ombudsman may be contacted at PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ.

Please be aware that any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of your having received a final written response from us about your complaint or within six years of the act or omission about which you are complaining occurring (or 3 years of you becoming aware of it).  For further information, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333 or www.legalombudsman.org.uk.

If someone thinks a solicitor might be dishonest or you have concerns about their ethics or integrity, they have the right to notify our regulator, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).  There are no time limits for making a report but there are limits on what the SRA will consider. Please note that the SRA is not able to deal with issues of poor service (complaints of this nature should instead be referred to the Legal Ombudsman).  For further information about the SRA’s role, please contact the SRA or visit: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor.page#report