Complaints

Our policy concerning complaints

We recognise that complaints may provide us with an opportunity to check the quality of our service and to make improvements. We also recognise that we have regulatory obligations to provide information about our complaints procedure to our clients at the outset of their matter; and that we should deal with all complaints promptly, fairly, openly, and effectively. 

Informal resolution

Minor concerns can often be resolved by informal discussion with the lawyer responsible for a particular matter and we encourage clients with concerns to raise any issues that are concerning them as soon as possible.

How can a formal complaint be made?

Please make any complaint as soon as possible following the acts or omissions about which you wish to complain. 

General complaint handling procedures

We will normally acknowledge each formal complaint within two working days of receipt and tell you the name of the person who will investigate the complaint. Usually this will be by a Director who has not been involved in the matter about which your complaint is made.
 
The person carrying out the investigation will establish a separate file for that investigation to keep a written record of it and so that we can readily provide the investigation file to any relevant authority if subsequently requested.
 
The person investigating the complaint will review your complaint with the person handling the matter, consider relevant papers from the file and other records, and make any wider enquiries within the firm as may be necessary. He or she may also ask to meet with you in the course of our investigation, if clarification is needed of any points raised in your complaint.
 
In our substantive response to you, we will:

• outline the investigations that we have carried out;

• set out our conclusions in relation to your complaint; and

• explain how we have reached those conclusions based on our investigation.

If we find that we have fallen short of what you should have expected from us, then we may also:

• explain what went wrong;

• propose one or more remedies to you; and/or

• explain how we have changed our practices to prevent similar problems in the future.

No charge will be made to you for the work done in responding to your complaint.

If you are a client of ours in England and Wales and you wish to make a complaint about any aspect of our service to you, including our fees, then please write in the first instance to Brian Harrington, at our Brighouse office, setting out the details of your complaint. We will investigate in accordance with our general policy above.

We will usually respond substantively to a complaint within 28 calendar days. If that is not possible, we will let you know when you will receive our full response. We aim always to respond to a complaint within 56 days of its first being made to us.
 
Before setting out your complaint you may wish to review the guidance notes published by the Legal Ombudsman relating to complaints against solicitors. These are published on the Legal Ombudsman’s website, the details of which are provided below.
 
Please make any complaint as soon as possible following the acts or omissions about which you wish to complain and in any event within the time limits prescribed by the Legal Ombudsman referred to below (and which can be found on their website).

legal ombudsman

If you are not satisfied with the response that we have provided to your complaint, then you may have the right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman. This right is available to all individual clients and to some organisational clients.

The Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints against solicitors and may be contacted at:
 
The Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6806
Wolverhampton
WV1 9WJ
Tel: 0300 555 0333
www.legalombudsman.org.uk
 
Please be aware that the Legal Ombudsman has published certain rules on its website in relation to complaints, including rules about:

• who can complain;

• the subject matter of complaints; and

• the time limits within which complaints need to be brought.

Should you wish to complain to the Legal Ombudsman, you must do so not later than:

• Within six months of receiving our final response to your complaint; and within

• one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or

• one year from the date when you should have realised that there was a cause for complaint.

The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.

Harrington Law is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (Authorisation no. 666091). If you have a complaint about our conduct, particularly in relation to dishonesty, financial wrongdoing or discrimination, the SRA may be able to help you. Further information is available here and they may be contacted at:

Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Cube
199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham
B1 1RN
Tel: 0370 606 2555