How to Make a Complaint

If the matter cannot be resolved and you would like to make a formal complaint, then please see our complaint process below:

Complaints Handling Procedure

  1. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within three working days of receiving it.

  2. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve reviewing your file and considering the issues you have raised in detail.

  3. Within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter, the advisor responsible for the practice will offer to meet with you to discuss and seek to resolve your complaint. If you do not wish to attend a meeting, or if a meeting is not possible, we may instead offer to discuss the matter by telephone.

  4. Within three working days of any meeting or telephone discussion, we will write to you to confirm what was discussed and any solutions agreed upon.

  5. In any event, we will send you a detailed written response to your complaint, including any proposals for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending the written acknowledgement referred to in paragraph 1 above.

  6. If you remain dissatisfied with our response, you may request a further review. This review may be carried out by an independent local solicitor, a professional mediator, or another appropriate external reviewer.

  7. We will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.

  8. If it becomes necessary to change any of these timescales, we will notify you promptly and explain the reasons for the delay.

What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint

If we are unable to resolve your complaint, then you can have the complaint independently looked at by the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints about service issues with legal Professionals

The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within six years of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within three years of you realising there was a concern.

You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you. However, please note that from 1 April 2023, these time limits are changing.

From the 1 April 2023 the Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within a year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within a year of you realising there was a concern. The requirement to refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you remains the same

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

Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm.

Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Legal Ombudsman

PO Box 6167

Slough

SL1 0EH

If a complaint cannot be resolved, you may also be able to ask for it to be referred to a process of alternative dispute resolution using a certified provider. We are not required to agree to such a request. In any case, this is not available to businesses, only consumers. We will give you more information about that right if it becomes relevant.

If you have a complaint, please raise the issue directly with the advisor responsible for your matter. We will do our best to resolve any concerns promptly and fairly.

If you would prefer to make your complaint in writing, you can contact us at complaints@salemlegalservices.com.