Complaints Procedure

Our complaints policy

We are committed to providing a high quality legal service to all our clients. When something goes wrong we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards.

Our complaints procedure

Whenever possible, please raise any initial client care problems with the person acting on your case to give them the opportunity of resolving matters with you. Often, matters can be quickly resolved in this way. If you remain unhappy about any aspect of the service you have received, or about the bill, please let the person acting on your case know, or contact our Client Care Partner.

Our Client Care Partner is Mr Adrian Green. You can contact him at 656 Great Horton Road Bradford BD7 4AA or by telephoning 01274 404010 or by e-mail:  [email protected]

What will happen next?

1. If you have told the person acting on you case that the issue remains unresolved, he or she will inform our Client Care Partner straight away. If this happens, or if you have contacted our Client Care Partner direct, within 7 days we will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint confirming the name of the person who will be dealing with your complaint. We may ask you to confirm or explain the details of your complaint. 

2. We will record your complaint in our central register and open a file for your complaint.

3. We will then start to investigate your complaint. This may involve one or more of the following:

a. We may speak to the person who acted for you.

b. We may examine their reply and the information in your file. We may then ask them for more information. 

4. We will send you a detailed reply to your complaint confirming the outcome of our investigation. This will include our suggestions for resolving the matter. This will happen within 7 days of us completing our investigation. 

5. Alternatively, we may invite you to meet the person dealing with the complaint to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. Within 7 days of any meeting we will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions we have agreed with you.

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

6. At this time if you remain dissatisfied, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH [email protected]

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 can ordinarily take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

• Within 6 months of receiving a final response to your complaint

and

• No more than one year from the date of the act/omission; or

• No more than one year from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

7. Complaints about your bill

The above complaints procedure also applies to complaints arising concerning our bill. There may also be a right to object to the bill by applying to the court for an assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974; and that if all, or part, of a bill remains unpaid, the firm may be entitled to charge interest.

 

8. Raising concerns with our regulator

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) can help you 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. You can find information about raising your concerns with the SRA at www.sra.org.uk in the ‘For the public’ section.

Thank you for taking the time to read our Complaints Procedure which has been drafted in accordance with Solicitors Regulation Authority Regulations.

The fees paid to both the courts and our firm vary depending on the size of your claim and the debt value, as set out below:

  • up to £5,000 | Court Fee £35-£205* | Our fee £500 + VAT £100.
  • £5,001 – £10,000 | Court Fee £455 | Our fee £1,000 + VAT £200.
  • £10,001 – £50,000 | Court Fee 5% of the value of the claim | Our fee 10% of the value of the claim + VAT at 20% of our fee.

*The Court fee for claims up to £5000 depends on the amount of the claim. Details can be found at       https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fees-in-the-civil-and-family-courts-main-fees-ex50/civil-court-fees-ex50  

Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that:

  • The VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed from your debtor.
  • Interest and compensation may take the debt into a higher banding, with a higher cost.
  • The costs quoted above are not for matters where enforcement action, such as the bailiff, is needed to collect your debt.