Complaints Procedure
Our Complaints Policy
We are dedicated to delivering a high-quality legal service to all our clients. However, we acknowledge that sometimes issues may arise, and we encourage you to communicate them to us. Your feedback is essential in helping us maintain and enhance our service standards.
Our Complaints Procedure
If you have a complaint, please contact us with the details.
What Will Happen Next?
1. We will promptly acknowledge your complaint in writing and request you to confirm or provide further details. You will be informed about the designated person handling your complaint. Expect to receive this acknowledgement letter within five days of us receiving your complaint.
2. Your complaint will be officially recorded in our central register, and a dedicated file will be opened within one working day of receiving your complaint.
3. Our investigation into your complaint will begin, typically involving another staff member at Tinkler Solicitors. They will review your case file and speak with the relevant staff who assisted you.
4. You will receive an invitation to a meeting to discuss and, hopefully, resolve your complaint. This invitation will be dispatched within 14 days of sending the acknowledgement letter.
5. Within five days of the meeting, we will provide you with written confirmation of what transpired during the meeting and any agreed-upon solutions.
6. If a meeting is not desired or possible, we will send you a detailed written response to your complaint, including our proposed resolutions, within 28 days of sending the acknowledgement letter.
7. If you remain dissatisfied at this stage, please inform us, and we will arrange for a review of your file.
8. We will communicate the results of the review to you within 21 days. At this point, we will provide a final response, explaining our position on your complaint and the reasons behind it.
What to Do If We Cannot Resolve Your Complaint?
If we are unable to resolve your complaint, you can seek assistance from the Legal Ombudsman. They will independently examine your complaint without affecting our case-handling process. Before the Legal Ombudsman investigates, they will check if you have attempted to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must approach the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint or no more than six years from the date of the act/omission, or no more than three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
For more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them:
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Phone: 0300 555 0333 (Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM)
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ
What to Do If You Are Unhappy with Our Behavior?
If you have concerns about our behaviour, the Solicitors Regulation Authority can assist you. This might involve issues like dishonesty, financial matters, or unfair treatment based on characteristics like age, disability, or other factors. Visit their website at www.sra.org.uk to learn how to raise concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
If we need to make changes to any of the timeframes mentioned above, we will promptly inform you and provide an explanation.