M&S Solicitors limited- Complaints procedure

We are committed to providing a high quality legal service, but even in the best‐run businesses, problems may occur from time to time and we need to know how and why to help us improve our standards. If you feel that we have not met your expectations in any way, then please do contact Rob Hughes, our Chairman, with details of your complaint.

Rob Hughes

Tel: 01530 266000

Email rhughes@mslaw.co.uk.co.uk

Our Complaints Procedure

Any complaints will be forwarded to Rob Hughes, our Chairman, as well as to the Solicitor in charge of the matter involved in your complaint.

Next Steps

  1. We will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint and give you a timescale for providing an initial response.

  2. We aim to send this acknowledgement to you within 5 workings days but will let you know if we will be unable to do this.

  3. We will then start to investigate your complaint, which is likely to involve both the Solicitor who acted for you and the Matter Director, and should normally be completed within 20 working days. If we have to change any of thetimescales above, we will let you know and explain why.

  4. If it is considered that a meeting at this stage would be helpful, we will invite you to meet one of us to discuss and, we hope, resolve your complaint.

  5. If we hold a meeting with you we will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions we have agreed with you.

  6. Where a meeting is not held, we will send you a detailed reply to your complaint, including our suggestions for resolving the matter.

  7. If you consider that the matter has not been resolved to your satisfaction, you can write to us again and we will then arrange for Rob Hughes to review our decision.

  8. We will then write to you confirming our final position on your complaint and explain our reasons. If you are still not satisfied, you may be entitled to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman about your complaint.

  9. The Legal Ombudsman service is available to members of the public, very small businesses, charities, clubs and trusts. For more information about eligibility, see section 2 of the scheme rules available on the Legal Ombudsman’s website (www.legalombudsman.org.uk).

  10. If you decide to refer a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, you must do so within 12 months of becoming aware of the issue causing you concern. This must also be within 6 months of the date that we finish going through our own complaints procedure.

  11. The Legal Ombudsman can be contacted by calling their helpline on 0300 555 0333 or by post to Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ, or by email at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.

  12. The entitlement to complain extends to a complaint about our bill. There may be a right to object to the bill by making a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, or by applying to the court for an assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. The Legal Ombudsman may not deal with a complaint about a bill if you have applied for a court assessment of that bill.

If you require any further information, please contact us.

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