How to Make a Complaint
Adam Bernard Solicitors is committed to providing an excellent standard of service to our clients. We believe in resolving concerns fairly, promptly and transparently. We encourage clients to raise any concerns as soon as possible so that we can work together to achieve an early resolution where appropriate.
Our complaints procedure is aligned with the Legal Ombudsman’s Model Complaints Resolution Procedure (MCRP). Further information about the MCRP and the complaints process can be found at: https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/for-legal-service-providers/learning-resources/model-complaints-resolution-procedure/
Stage 1: Early Resolution
We encourage both parties to explore opportunities to resolve concerns at the earliest possible stage, without the need for a lengthy, formal or costly complaints process.
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service, you should first raise your concerns with the lawyer responsible for your matter or a manager within the firm. We will seek to understand your concerns and work with you to resolve them through discussion, correspondence or another appropriate form of communication.
You should normally raise your concerns within six months of the conclusion of your matter or within six months of becoming aware of the circumstances giving rise to your complaint.
Stage 2: Formal Complaint and Investigation
If your concerns cannot be resolved through the Early Resolution process, or if you consider the matter to be particularly serious, sensitive or urgent, you may make a formal complaint to our Complaints Handler.
You can submit your complaint by email or post.
By Email
complaints@adambernards.co.uk
By Post
FAO: Complaints Handler
Adam Bernard Solicitors
25 Barking Road
East Ham
London
E6 1PW
To help us investigate your complaint, please provide:
- Your preferred method of communication.
- Details of the service issues or concerns.
- The name of the lawyer with conduct of your matter.
- Whether you have attempted to resolve the matter through the Early Resolution process.
- The outcome or resolution you are seeking.
Acknowledgement
We will acknowledge receipt of your formal complaint within seven working days. Our acknowledgement will confirm that your complaint has been received and explain the next steps in the complaints process.
Investigation
Your complaint will be investigated by a suitably senior member of the firm who has not been directly involved in the matters complained of wherever possible.
As part of our investigation, we may:
- Review your file and relevant records.
- Request further information or documents.
- Speak with those involved in the matter.
- Invite you to attend a meeting or discuss the complaint further.
Written Outcome
Following our investigation, we will provide you with a written final response setting out:
- The issues investigated.
- Our findings.
- Any action taken or proposed.
- Any remedy offered, where appropriate.
We aim to provide our final response within eight weeks of receiving your formal complaint. If additional time is required due to the complexity of the issues, we will keep you informed and explain the reasons for any delay.
Stage 3: Legal Ombudsman
If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our final response, or if we do not resolve your complaint within eight weeks, you may be entitled to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman for independent review.
The Legal Ombudsman will generally expect you to have exhausted our internal complaints procedure before accepting a complaint.
A complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made:
- No later than one year from the date of the act or omission complained of; or
- No later than one year from the date you should reasonably have become aware that there was cause for complaint; and
- Within six months of receiving our final written response.
The Legal Ombudsman can be contacted as follows:
Website: https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 555 0333 (10:00am to 4:00pm)
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Post:
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6167
Slough
SL1 0EH
Complaints FAQ’s
Our terms of business provide that our invoices remain payable in accordance with the dates stipulated on the applicable fee agreement regardless of the investigation of any complaint. However, please be assured that if the outcome of any complaint investigation concludes that any adjustment or reduction in costs should be made, any reimbursement will be paid promptly at that time.
We will aim to conclude our investigation and provide our Final Response as quickly as possible. Although we will always aim for sooner, the process may take up to eight weeks from receipt of your complaint. In exceptional circumstances it may be necessary to extend these timescales. If this occurs, we will let you know in writing and will try to agree any variations with you first. Please refer to the above schedule of stages for more information as to the timelines and stages.
We regret any dissatisfaction which our clients experience and, if our investigation concludes that our service has fallen below our usual high standards, we will not hesitate to apologise. We may also make any proposals that we consider appropriate to resolve or improve your situation, and will take steps internally to ensure that any problems that you have experienced will not reoccur. We will ask you to let us know whether we have succeeded in resolving your concerns, or if you remain dissatisfied.
If you are complaining about our bill, in addition to referring your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, you may be entitled to ask the court to assess your costs under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. However, be aware that if you have done so, the Legal Ombudsman may not be able to consider a complaint about the same issues.
The Legal Ombudsman service considers complaints about the quality of legal services that clients’ receive. In the unlikely event that you have more serious concerns that a solicitor or the firm have been involved in professional misconduct then it may be appropriate for you to refer this to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. We do not anticipate any such problems arising and would ask that you notify the matter supervisor straight away if you have any such concerns. You can find out more about the Solicitors Regulation Authority, including their contact details and the Standards and Regulations that govern the conduct of solicitors and law firms, on their website: www.sra.org.uk.
Other ADR services providers exist that are competent to deal with complaints in the legal sector, including ProMediate. However, Adam Bernard Solicitors believes that the Legal Ombudsman offers our clients the most appropriate forum to seek resolution of their concerns. Therefore we have not adopted an alternative ADR procedure and do not agree to use another ADR organisation.
