COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
At SBA Solicitors we are committed to providing high-quality legal services to all our clients. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards. We appreciate feedback from all our clients so that we can offer you an even better service.
INFORMATION PROVIDED TO ALL CLIENTS:
It is our duty to inform all clients at the outset of their case, in a client care letter, that they are entitled to complain about our services to them, including about the firm’s bill, and to whom they should complain. Clients will be provided with information about whom to contact if they cannot easily resolve their complaint with the solicitor who has conduct of their case.
WHAT IS A COMPLAINT:
A complaint any expression of dissatisfaction in relation to the legal services, client care or the complaints management process provided by the practice, after which a resolution should be expected to resolve the issue at hand.
HOW A COMPLAINT CAN BE MADE:
If you become unhappy or concerned about the service we are providing, then you should let us know.
You can make the complaint face to face, in writing by letter, or email or on the telephone.
We advise that in the first instance your solicitor who has dealt with the matter be contacted first so as to resolve and clarify issues and concerns.
If you remain unsatisfied and you wish to make a formal complaint, then please contact our compliance solicitor, Shayheda Butt, with the full details of your complaint. We would expect to receive any complaints within 6 months of the subject matter of the complaint being identified to you and ideally as soon as possible.
You can contact
Shayheda Butt in writing at SBA Solicitors Ltd, 11A Derby Street,
Manchester, M8 8QE, by telephone on 0161 302 7905 or by email at sb@sbasolicitors.co.uk.
HOW WE WILL RESPOND TO A COMPLAINT:
On receipt of a complaint we will am to resolve the issue professionally. We however adopt a systematic approach as follows:
1. We will ask our clients to explain the problem and concerns. Our complaints handling manager will write to the client to acknowledge the complaint. We will then investigate your complaint. This will include reviewing your file and speaking to the lawyer responsible for your matter. We will seek to identify the cause of your complaint and will seek to offer appropriate redress. We will analyse if as a result of your complaint we need to make any changes to our policies and procedures and if we have any training needs.
2. The complaints manager will write to the client to acknowledge the complaint within 5 working days and will explain what the next step is. If we are unable to acknowledge the matter for some unknown reason within the time frame we will then write to the client notifying them of this together with the reason why and giving a revised timescale
- Shayheda Butt will then offer you the opportunity of a meeting to
discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. She will do this within 14
days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
4. One we have completed the investigations the representative will invite the client to a meeting to resolve the complaint. Should the client not be able to attend the office we will send to the client a detailed written response. The response will include the full proposal and suggestion as to how we wish to resolve the matter. This letter will be sent within 14 days of sending the letter acknowledging the receipt.
5. If you are satisfied with the response after having followed the above steps we will close the matter. If you are still unsatisfied with the response we will arrange a further meeting with an independent member of the firm who has no dealings with the matter. Thereafter you can ask the Legal Ombudsman to consider your complaint. They will look at your complaint independently. We will again put forward a proposal in order to resolve matters.
6.
Clients must always try complaining to us first. In most cases they will not be able to take their complaint further without allowing us the opportunity to put things right.
Legal Ombudsman:
Clients are free to refer any complaint about our work, fees or level of service but there are some conditions and time limits.
Normally, you will need to bring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint. However if you are outside of that timeframe, then you may still wish to contact the Legal Ombudsman, as they may agree to review our decision for you.
The Legal Ombudsman can be contacted at Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ or at www.legalombudsman.org.uk or by telephone on 0300 555 0333 or by email at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk. If you would like more information from the Legal Ombudsman then please contact them. The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things such as dishonesty, or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic. You can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority. More information can be found at their website at https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor.page
RECORD OF COMPLAINTS:
We will maintain a central record of all complaints. This will enable us to conduct an annual review of all complaints received and the outcome to enable us to verify that our complaint procedure is in effective operation across the firm.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
For further information about our complaints handling procedures, please do not hesitate to contact Shayheda Butt, by phone on 0161 302 7905, by email sb@sbasolicitors.org or by post to SBA Solicitors, 11A Derby Street, Manchester, M8 8QE.