Complaints Procedure

Formal complaint procedure

We are committed to providing high quality legal advice and client care.

However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service provided, please inform us immediately so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.

In the first instance, it may be helpful to contact the person who is handling your matter. If you still have queries or concerns, please contact the Complaints Partner Andrew Dongworth at Complaints@hrjforemanlaws.co.uk

Formal complaint procedure

The following outlines our recommended procedure for making a formal complaint. Please note that making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.

Step 1: Informal Resolution

If you have a concern, please contact the person who is handling your matter. Many issues can be resolved quickly and informally.

Step 2: Formal Complaint

If your concern is not resolved informally, you may submit a formal complaint in writing via email or letter to Andrew Dongworth at Complaints@hrjforemanlaws.co.uk

To deal with your complaint correctly, it would be helpful when contacting us if you could provide the following information:

• Your name, contact details and preferred method of contact
• File reference number(s)
• Details of your concerns
• How you would like us to put things right 

Step 3: Investigation

• We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 3 working days.
• An investigation will be conducted by an appropriate Head of Department.
• We will investigate your complaint and provide our final written response within 8 weeks of receiving your complaint, setting out our findings, any proposed resolution and details of your right to refer the complaint to the Legal Ombudsman if you remain dissatisfied.

Taking the complaint further

We are regulated by the ​ and complaints and redress mechanisms are provided through them and the Legal Ombudsman.

If we are unable to resolve any such concerns to your satisfaction you are entitled to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.

The Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints about service issues with lawyers. They would generally expect clients to follow a firms internal complaints procedure first.  However, complaints to the Ombudsman should be made within six months of receiving our final response to your complaint and no more than one year from the date when the problem arose or, if you were not initially aware of the problem, within one year of the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint.

The Legal Ombudsman may consider complaints made after these deadlines if it is fair and reasonable for them to do so. They may decide not to pursue a complaint if:

there was no significant loss, distress, inconvenience, or detriment;

the size or complexity of the complaint, or your behaviour, results in the complaint requiring a disproportionate use of resources;

there has been undue delay in bringing the complaint;

you have already accepted a reasonable offer we made.

The Legal Ombudsman’s contact details are:

• Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
• Call: 0300 555 0333 between 10am to 4pm
• Relay UK: 18001 0300 555 0333
• Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
• Post: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH

Complaints about a client’s rights under the General Data Protection Regulation must be submitted to the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ico.org.uk.

Any disputes or legal issues arising from our Client Care and Terms of Business will be determined by the law of England and Wales and considered exclusively by the English and Welsh courts.

If you are concerned about our professional regulatory conduct, you may make a report to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (“SRA”). The SRA’s contact details are:-

Solicitors Regulation Authority, The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham B1 1RN

Email: report@SRA.org.uk

Tel: 0370 606 2555

More information is available on the SRA’s website at www.sra.org.uk including full details of possible regulatory issues.

We hope that you are happy with our handling of your case. However, if you have any queries or concerns about the service we have provided, please inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.