Our complaints policy
At Allen Hoole we aim to provide our clients with the highest standards of client care so we encourage you to let us know if we have not met your expectations. This enables us to address your concerns and improve our service.
If you wish to address your concerns by making a complaint then we will seek to resolve it fairly, openly, effectively and promptly, and without charge. We will take an objective approach and try to put ourselves in your shoes, using Legal Ombudsman guidance to propose a reasonable and proportionate resolution.
We consider a complaint to be a formal expression of dissatisfaction (verbal or written) from a client or third party about the quality or cost of our service.
Our complaints procedure
- Initially, please let the lawyer dealing with your matter or his/her supervisor know what your complaint is, by telephone, letter or email. They are often the best people to put things right. If you prefer not to contact them then please contact our Practice Manager whose contact details are below.
- We will resolve your complaint or acknowledge it within 3 working days of its receipt. If the initial person can resolve your complaint directly they will confirm this in writing. Otherwise our Practice Manager will acknowledge your complaint formally with a timescale for their detailed response.
- We will send you our detailed response, usually 3 weeks from our acknowledgment. The complaints handler will investigate your complaint and may ask you more questions or for your comments in writing. If more time is needed to respond they will inform you. Their response may be in writing but meeting you or discussing matters with you by telephone may be more suitable. If so they will contact you to make arrangements. If you consider that they have resolved your complaint please let them know in writing.
- If your complaint is not resolved we will conduct a second review within 2 weeks. If you remain unhappy please set out in writing the aspects of our response you disagree with and why. We will seek the objective opinion of a senior lawyer within this firm not involved in the case. They will inform you of actual timings but generally would send you their conclusions in writing within 2 weeks from your response. If you consider that they have resolved your complaint please let them know in writing.
- We will send you our final response in writing within 8 weeks of receiving your complaint. Our final response closes our complaints procedure. We will send you it if you confirm you remain dissatisfied following our second review or if we do not hear from you within a particular requested response time or if we consider we will be unable to resolve your complaint.
Following our final response or if we have not sent it to you within the 8 week period, you may refer the matter to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) whose contact details are below. Ordinarily LeO will only look at your complaint within a) 6 months of our final response and b) one year from when the problem occurred or one year from when you should have known of the problem.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority 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.
Contact Details
Practice Manager
Karen Alexander
Email: kalexander@allenhoole.co.uk
Phone: 0117 9420901
Legal Ombudsman
Post: PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH.
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Phone: 0300 555 0333 Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Solicitors Regulation Authority
Post: The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN
Email: via: https://www.sra.org.uk/contact-us/
Phone: 0370 606 2555 Website: www.sra.org.uk