Complaints Policy

We are committed to providing a high quality legal service and to dealing with all our clients fairly. We acknowledge that we may not always get it right so if something has gone wrong, including in relation to the bill, we need you to tell us.

How do I make a complaint?

You can contact us in writing (by letter or email) or by speaking with our complaints partner, Joanne Harriman, whose contact details are:

Joanne Harriman, Solicitor, 2 Park Square, Laneham Street, Scunthorpe DN15 6JH. 
Telephone 01724 281616
Email jo.harriman@sbblaw.com

To help us to understand your complaint, and in order that we do not miss anything, please tell us:

  • your full name and contact details Bookmark
  • what you think we have got wrong Bookmark
  • what you hope to achieve as a result of your complaint, and Bookmark
  • your file reference number (if you have it) Bookmark

If you require any help in making your complaint we will try to help you.

How will you deal with my complaint?

We will record your complaint centrally.

We will write to you within three working days acknowledging your complaint, enclosing a copy of this policy.

We will investigate your complaint. This will usually involve:

  • reviewing your complaint Bookmark
  • reviewing your file(s) and other relevant documents, and Bookmark
  • speaking with the person who dealt with your matter Bookmark

We may also need to ask you for further information or documents. If so, we will ask you to provide the information within a specific period of time.

We will update you on the progress of your complaint at appropriate times.

We may also, if appropriate, invite you to a meeting to discuss your complaint. You do not have to attend if you do not wish to or if you are unable to. We will be happy to discuss the matter with you on the telephone.

We will write to you at the end of our investigation to tell you what we have done and what we propose to do to resolve your complaint. Where possible, we will aim to do this within twenty one days of the date of our letter of acknowledgement.

What if I am not satisfied with the outcome?

We want to give you the best possible service. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service we provided to you then you should inform us immediately so that we can do our best to resolve the problem for you. In the first instance it may be helpful to contact the individual who is working on your case to discuss any concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues at this stage.

What happens if I don’t agree with your views on the complaint?

If we are unable to resolve the complaint with you then you can have the complaint independently looked at by the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman investigates problems about poor service from lawyers.
Before accepting a complaint for investigation the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. 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 12 months from the date of act/omission, or if it was longer ago, within 12 months of you finding out about the issue.

If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman please contact them:

Visit www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Call 03005550333 between 9am to 5pm.
Email enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Legal Ombudsman , PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH

Alternative complaints bodies such as ProMediate exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and our firm wish to use such a scheme. They can be contacted at:

http://www.promediate.co.uk/

We do not agree to use ProMediate.

What will it cost?

We will not charge you for handling your complaint.

Please note that if we have issued a bill for work done on the matter, and all or some of the bill is not paid, we may be entitled to charge interest on the amount outstanding.

The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.