Complaints Procedure

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We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service.

We acknowledge that we may not always get it right, so if something has gone wrong, including in relation to our charges, we need you to tell us. This will help us to improve our standards of service.

How do I make a complaint?

You can contact us in writing (by letter or email) or by telephone.

In the first instance, it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues.

If you do not feel able to discuss your concerns with them, or you are unsatisfied with their response, please contact our Complaints Handling Solicitor Karen Pang who has responsibility for complaints handling and whose contact details are:

Harris Fowler Solicitors
6 Hammet Street
Taunton
TA1 1RZ

Email: karen.pang@harrisfowler.co.uk

Telephone: 01823 251 515

To help us to understand your complaint, and in order that we do not miss anything, please tell us:

your full name and contact details;
what you think we have got wrong;
how you would like your complaint to be resolved; and
your file reference number (if you have it).

If you require any help in making your complaint we will try to help you.

How will you deal with my complaint?

We will write to you within three working days acknowledging your complaint, enclosing a copy of this policy.

We will investigate your complaint. This will usually involve:

reviewing your complaint;
reviewing your file(s) and other relevant documents; and
liaising with the person who dealt with your matter.
We may also need to ask you for further information or documents. If so, we will ask you to provide the information within a specific period of time.
We will update you on the progress of your complaint at appropriate times.
We will write to you at the end of our investigation to tell you what we have done and what we propose to do to resolve your complaint. Where possible, we will aim to do this within 28 days of the date of our letter of acknowledgement.

What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint

We have eight weeks to consider your complaint. If we have not resolved it within this time you may be able to complain to the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your matter.

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 must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint;
and
no more than one year from the date of the act/omission you are concerned about; or
no more than one year from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them. Their contact details are:

Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Telephone: 0300 555 0333 (Monday to Friday 10am – 4pm)

Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) bodies exist (such as ProMediate and Small Claims Mediation) which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and our firm wish to use such a scheme. We have, however, chosen not to adopt an ADR process. If, therefore, you wish to complain further, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman

What to do if you are unhappy with our behaviour

The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help 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.

Visit its website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

What will it cost?

We will not charge you for handling your complaint.

The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.

“Harris Fowler are the only ones I would trust. They make everything clear, easy and always deliver total honesty – Thank you to all who worked on my claim.”