Client Complaints Policy

We value each client and take pride in the service we provide. We are committed to providing the highest standard of service to all our clients and we very much hope that you will be satisfied with our service. However, if at any time you are unhappy, dissatisfied, concerned or simply unsure about any aspect of your matter and the service we have provided (including billing), please do not hesitate to discuss it with the partner having conduct or supervision of the work to see if you can jointly resolve the problem.

Complaints Procedure

If you would like to make a formal complaint, please write to the Managing Partner/Head of Risk & Compliance at this firm’s address (or by email to email: kb@kingsbridgelaw.com). Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your matter or the service we provide.

What will happen next?

We will write to you acknowledging receipt of your complaint and also let you know the name of the person who will be dealing with your complaint. The Investigating Partner will ring you or contact you by email to ensure that they understand the basis of the complaint. You can expect to receive our communication within three (3) working days of us receiving your complaint.

We will then investigate your complaint. This will usually involve speaking to the members of staff who acted for you. Each matter will be assessed in light of the facts and the circumstances.

Within two (2) weeks of acknowledging your complaint and following our investigation, we will invite you for a meeting, a telephone or video call with the Investigating Partner to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint dealing with the issue. 

Within three (3) working days of such meeting, we will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions we have agreed with you.

If you do not want a meeting, or it is not practicable or appropriate, a detailed written response will be necessary. Our response may include our suggestions for resolving the matter. This should happen within twenty one (21) working days of sending you the acknowledgement letter. 

If you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again. We will then arrange to review our decision. This will happen in one of the following ways:

·       the complaints officer/investigating partner or other person handling your complaint will review his/her own decision within ten (10) working days;

·       we will arrange for someone in the firm who has not been involved in your complaint to review it. They will do this within fourteen (14) working days; or

·       we will invite you to agree to independent mediation. We will let you know how long this process will take.

We will let you know the result of the review within five (5) working days of the end of the review. At this time, we will write to you confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.

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

What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint?

The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we deal with your matter or the service we provide.

Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

·       Within six (6) months of receiving a final response to your complaint

and

·       No more than six (6) years from the date of act/omission; or

·       No more than three (3) years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them.

Contact details

Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9.00 to 17.00.

Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ

Charges

If a complaint relates to an invoice we have delivered, a client may also be entitled to apply to the court for an assessment of the invoice under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. If a client wishes our charges to be reviewed by the court they must apply to the court within one (1) month of the date the invoice was delivered to that client. If the invoice has been paid and more than twelve (12) months has elapsed or a judgment has been obtained in respect of the costs covered by the invoice, the court will not order the invoice to be assessed unless special circumstances apply. If the court makes an order in such circumstances, it may attach conditions to the order in respect of the costs of the assessment.

What to do if you are unhappy with our behaviour

The Solicitors Regulation Authority ("SRA") can help if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic. Guidance on how you can raise your concerns with the SRA can be found on the SRA website (https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/).

General

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

The Managing Partner or Head of Risk & Compliance will log the progress of all substantive complaints reported to them.

We will deal with complaints promptly, fairly and free of charge.

Our entitlement to charge interest in respect of an unpaid invoice may not be affected by any complaint submitted to the Legal Ombudsman or by any application that is made to the court for assessment of the invoice.