Complaints Procedure
We are committed to providing all of our clients with a high-quality legal service.
However, we acknowledge that we may not always get it right. If something has gone wrong, including in relation to our charges, we need you to tell us. This will help us to improve our standards of service as well as give us the opportunity to put things right.
How do I make a complaint?
You can contact us in writing by letter or email or by telephone.
In the first instance, it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and they will do their best to resolve any issues.
If this does not resolve matters, your complaint will be escalated further initially to our Chairman, John Verrill, who has overall responsibility for the handling of complaints.
If you do not feel comfortable speaking with the person who is dealing with your matter, you may make your complaint to John Verrill directly.
Mr John Verrill
Rothley Law Limited
22 Vantage Park
High View Close
Leicester
LE4 9LJ
John Verrill will review your complaint and decide whether to pass your complaint to our external complaints handling firm, CRCS Legal or whether your complaint can be handled internally. This decision will be dependent on the complexity of your complaint as well as available resources at the time of your complaint.
We will advise you if your complaint is being passed to CRCS Legal.
Making a complaint will not affect how your legal matter is dealt with.
To help us to understand your complaint, and to ensure that we investigate all your concerns, please tell us:
- your full name and contact details;
- what your concerns are in the way we have been dealing with your matter;
- how you would like your complaint to be resolved; and
- your file reference number (if you have it).
If you require any help in making your complaint we will try to help you.
What will happen next?
- Either we or a Complaint Manager from CRCS Legal will contact you either in writing, email or telephone to acknowledge your concerns within 5 working days of initial contact.
- Following an initial acknowledgement, you will be contacted, and an understanding of your concerns will be set out to you. These two steps may be combined in that you may receive an acknowledgement which also sets out the understanding of your complaint. You may be asked to provide any further comments, or further information, and you will be asked to confirm that the understanding is correct. If you have not indicated what you would like to resolve your complaint, you will also be asked how you would like to resolve your complaint. This will happen within 5 working days of the initial acknowledgement of the complaint. If you do not confirm that the understanding is correct within 7 days, it will be assumed that the summary is correct, and the Complaint Manager will move to the next stage.
- The Complaint Manager may speak with the person involved if it is necessary to address your concerns and a review of your file will be undertaken. This action will take place within 21 working days of you providing further information or clarification that the summary is correct.
- The Complaint Manager will then write to you setting out their view of your complaint and making any proposal for resolution, within 7 working days of completing the review. You will be asked to provide any further comments and to consider any resolution that is being proposed.
- If you provide any further comments, these will be addressed within 7 working days of receipt of those further comments.
- If you do not respond to the response letter within 7 working days, your file in regard to the complaint will be closed.
*NB The timescales are subject to the Complaint Manager’s availability, for example they may have to change to allow for holiday or absence from the office. If the timescale must change you will be advised accordingly.
What will it cost?
There will be no charge to you for handling your complaint.
Please note that if we have issued a bill for work done on the matter, and all or some of the bill is not paid, we may be entitled to charge interest on the amount outstanding. This is explained in our Terms of Business.
What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint
Whilst we will endeavour to investigate your complaint more quickly, we have eight weeks to consider your complaint. If we have not resolved it within this time, you may be able to complain to the Legal Ombudsman. This applies if you are an individual, a business with fewer than 10 employees and turnover or assets not exceeding a certain threshold, a charity or trust with a net income of less than £1m, or if you fall within certain other categories (you can find out more from the Legal Ombudsman). The Legal Ombudsman will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your matter.
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 months of receiving a final response to your complaint; and
- no more than six years from the date of act/omission; or
- no more than three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
The Legal Ombudsman has limited power to investigate complaints by non-clients.
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6167
Slough
SL1 0EH
Tel: 0300 555 0333
BT NGT Lite: 18001 0300 5550333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
A referral must be made to The Legal Ombudsman within 6 months of the date of the letter confirming the investigation has come to an end. In any event you must raise the formal complaint within 1 year of the incident giving rise to the complaint or within 1 year of when you reasonably should have known you had a complaint.
We have chosen not to adopt an alternative dispute resolution process. If, therefore, you wish to complain further, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman.
The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.
What to do if you are unhappy with our behaviour
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help if you are concerned about the behaviour of our legal advisors. 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(s).
Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns:
