Arnold Greenwood Solicitors Ltd Complaints Procedure

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to our clients. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to sort out any mistakes or misunderstandings, and to improve our standards.

Initial concerns

In most cases, an informal chat with the lawyer responsible for your matter will resolve your concerns.

If it does not, you can formalise your complaint or speak to someone other than the lawyer responsible for your matter. Our complaints partner Stephen Pooley can record everything you are unhappy about and recommend the best solution for you. You can contact Stephen Pooley at spooley@arnoldgreenwood.co.uk.  Alternatively you can call him on 01539 720049 or write to him at our office address.

What we need to know

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 contact method
  • File reference number
  • Details of your concerns
  • How you would like us to put things right.

What will happen next?

  1. If you telephone us, we will endeavour to resolve the issue in that call.
  2. If you email or write to us, or if your complaint cannot be resolved in a phone call, we will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within two days of receiving it.
  3. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve our complaints partner reviewing your file and speaking to the member of staff who acted for you.
  4. Within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter our complaints partner will invite you to a meeting to discuss and resolve your complaint. If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, our complaints partner may instead offer you a chance to discuss the matter by telephone.
  5. Within three days of the meeting, or any telephone conversation we have with you instead of a meeting, our complaints partner will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions we have agreed with you.
  6. In any case he will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including his suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the written acknowledgement of your complaint referred to in paragraph 1 above.
  7. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for another partner or someone unconnected with the matter at the firm to review the decision.
  8. We will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasoning.

If we have to change any of these timescales, we will let you know and explain why and we will seek your agreement before proceeding.

  1. If you are still not satisfied or a period of 8 weeks has expired since we acknowledged your complaint without and no final response has been provided to you, you are entitled to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman about your complaint. The Legal Ombudsman will review your complaint independently and any investigation by them will not affect how we handle your case.  Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve the complaint with us in the first instance.  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 or omission being complained about; or
    • no more than one year from the date when you should reasonably have known there was a cause for complaint.
  2. For complaints about our service, including billing issues, you may contact the Legal Ombudsman via one of the methods below:
    • Phone: 0300 555 0333 between 10:00am and 16:00
    • Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
    • Post:
    • Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough. SL1 0EH
  3. The Legal Ombudsman service cannot be used by businesses or most other organisations unless they are below certain size limits.  Further details can be obtained from the Legal Ombudsman.
  4. If your unresolved complaint relates to an insurance policy covering your case, you may contact the Financial Ombudsman Service:
    • Phone: 0800 023 4567
    • Online: https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumers/how-to-complain
    • Post: Financial Ombudsman Service, Exchange Tower. Harbour Exchange. London. E14 9SR.
  5. If a complaint cannot be resolved, you may also be able to ask for it to be referred to a process of alternative dispute resolution using a certified provider. We are not required to agree to such a request. In any case this is not available to businesses, only consumers. We will give you more information about that right if it becomes relevant.