ARCHSTONE SOLICITORS LTD
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
COMPLAINTS POLICY
We strive to achieve the highest possible service. However as with all businesses sometimes we can get it wrong. In such circumstances we aim to operate a robust complaints handling procedure so that we can not only try to resolve an issue, but we also strive to utilise for the purposes of improving our service as a professional organisation.
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
If for any reason you are dissatisfied with our service, then we would initially invite you to contact the member of staff that is dealing with your matter. We find that most straightforward matters can be resolved quite quickly and amicably in this informal manner. Our aim will be to try and resolve any concerns as quickly as possible, however we do appreciate that sometimes it will not be possible to do so, and under such circumstances we would invite you to adopt the following formal complaints procedure if you remain dissatisfied.
STAGE 1
If the above fails to resolve your issue, then please raise any complaint in writing addressed to the complaints handling partner of our practice utilising the following method of communication and contact;
By Post and Email:
FAO: Complaints Partner
Archstone Solicitors LTD
131 The Grove
Stratford
London E15 1EN
Email: info@archstone.org.uk
Please ensure you mark your letter and correspondence with “Formal Complaint”, together with the reasons as to the cause of your complaint and how you would like us to resolve the matter.
We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within five working days of receipt and we will aim to respond back to you more comprehensively within 21 days of receipt of your complaint. The complaints partner whom will be allocated to investigate will have full access to your file of papers and it may additionally be necessary to speak to you prior to finalising a formal response and recommendation in resolving any issue of dispute.
Please note although we will aim to try and resolve complaints within the shortest possible time frame, we do have up to 8 weeks from the date we receive a complaint to fully investigate and provide our final response.
STAGE 2
If you remain dissatisfied, you then have the right thereafter to raise your complaint within 6 months of our final response with the Legal Ombudsman, whom will investigate your complaint entirely independently of our offices. They can be contacted utilising the following:
Legal Ombudsman
P.O. Box 6806
Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ
Telephone: 0 3 0 0 5 5 5 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Web: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
The Legal Ombudsman office have a comprehensive process of dealing with complaints fully independently and any final decision will be binding.
The legal ombudsman will verify that you have attempted to resolve your issues with us first before accepting it for investigation. If so, you need to file a complaint with the legal ombudsman within 6 months of receiving our 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 that there was a cause for complaint.
COMPLAINTS ABOUT MISCONDUCT
In the event that you have a complaint about discrimination or our firm closing down without informing you, then you can report the matter to our regulatory body known as the Solicitors Regulation Authority. There details are as follows:
The Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Cube
Wharfside Street
Birmingham B1 1RN
Tel: 0370 606 2555
http://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor.page
