Complaints Handling Procedure
We very much regret any circumstances which may lead to a client having reason to complain about the services provided by the firm. We are committed to providing a high quality and professional service to all our clients. Please therefore tell us as soon as possible if you feel that we have not met the standard. We recognise that from time to time complaints occur and we are committed to resolving any complaints as promptly, fairly and efficiently as possible.
Our complaints procedure sets out the steps that we would like you to take to bring the complaint to our attention and the action that we will take to respond to the complaint.
At first, we would ask that you raise any concerns about our service with the person who is handling your case, or if you are not happy to do this please contact our complaints handling partner, Mr Michael Connell at Hetts, 11 Wells Street, Scunthorpe DN15 6HW email address mconnell@hetts.co.uk.
We will look into your complaint and put things right if something has gone wrong and you will notbe charged by us for investigating your complaint.
The Procedure – How do I make a complaint?
Please tell us:
Your full name and contact details.
Your file reference number, if you have it.
Details of your complaint.
How will you deal with my complaint?
We will record your complaint and within five working days acknowledge your complaint, enclosing a copy of this policy.
We will investigate and respond promptly to your complaint. This will usually involve a review of
your file and other relevant documents and discussing the matter with the person who dealt withyour matter.
We may ask you for further information or documentation.
We will keep you advised with regard to progress of your complaint and may if appropriate inviteyou to a meeting to discuss the complaint.
We will write to you at the end of our investigation to tell you what we have done to resolvematters. We have a period of eight weeks in which to do so. We can often deal with a complaint in ashorter period than eight weeks.
What if I am not satisfied with the outcome?
If you are unhappy with the outcome of our complaints handling procedure, please first let us know
and we will review the matter.
If you are still unhappy you can ask the Legal Ombudsman to look into your complaint. You can contact the Legal Ombudsman:
by post at PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ
by telephone – 0300 555 0333, or
by email – enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
You must refer your complaint within six months of our final written response to your complaint and
within six years of the act or omission about which you are complaining occurring (or within three
years of you becoming aware of it). Further details are available on the website:
www.legalombudsman.org.uk.
The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.
Please be aware that the Ombudsman will not normally become involved unless you have given us
the opportunity of dealing with your complaint through our own procedures in the first instance.
The Legal Ombudsman may:
investigate the quality of professional service supplied by a solicitor to a client.
Investigate allegations that a solicitor has breached rules of professional conduct.
Investigate allegations that a solicitor has unreasonably refused to supply a professional
service to a prospective client.
Investigate allegations that a solicitor has persistently or unreasonably offered a professional
service that the client does not want.
Please note you will have to bring your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of
receiving a final response from us about your complaint and six years from the date of the act or
omission giving rise to the complaint, or alternatively three years from the date you should
reasonably have know there are grounds for complaint (if the act/omission took place before 6 th
October 2010 or was more than six years ago).
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help if your complaint relates to our professional behaviour,
for example if you feel that you have been treated unfairly or that we have acted in breach of
professional requirements and standards.
For further information, please refer to https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-
solicitor/.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority, The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham B1 1RN.
Telephone 0870 662 555.
Email report@sra.org.uk
Complaints about our bill
Under sections 70, 71 and 72 of the Solicitors Act 1974 you have a right to an assessment of your bill
by an Officer of the Court.
If all or part of the bill remains unpaid, we have the right to charge interest on it.
The Legal Ombudsman may not deal with a complaint about your bill if you have already
applied for an assessment by the Court.
Small Claims Mediation
Alternative complaints bodies such as the Small Claims Mediation Service are competent to deal
with complaints about legal services should both you and our firm wish to use such a scheme.
There may however be a charge to use the services of such bodies. Also, then can only help mediate
and cannot, unlike the Legal Ombudsman, make a decision that in the absence of an agreement
reached between the parties, binds either party. If no agreement is reached between the parties
through mediation, then the matter would have to proceed to the Legal Ombudsman in any event.
Unreasonable Behaviour
We are committed to dealing with all complaints professionally, fairly and impartially. We also have
a duty to protect the safety and welfare of our staff against unreasonable or persistent behaviour.
Unreasonable behaviour is where the frequency or nature of your contact with us takes up
unjustifiable time and resources or if you are offensive, threatening or abusive. Behaviours which we
consider to be unreasonable and unacceptable include:
Making unnecessarily excessive demands on the time and resources of our staff while your
complaint is being investigated. This includes excessive telephoning, the sending of
numerous emails, writing long and complex letters frequently and expecting an immediate
response.
Repeatedly raising issues which have already been addressed in a response to an earlier
complaint.
Refusing to specify the grounds of a complaint or to co-operate with the complaints
procedure.
Changing the basis of the complaint and introducing irrelevant information.
Recording meetings or conversations without the prior knowledge of the persons involved.
Using bullying, physical or psychological threats as a means to influence the person(s)
handling the complaint.
If we consider your behaviour to be unacceptable we will write to you and tell you. We may decide
to restrict contact between you and us:
To a nominated person only.
By requiring communication by letter only, or
By ceasing contact altogether.
If we think your behaviour towards us in a telephone call is unacceptable, we may end the call without notice.
If you need this information in another language or in large print, Braille or an audio CD, please get in touch.