It is in our interests as well as yours that you receive a high-quality service. Whilst we try to avoid it, sometimes things go wrong and we need you to tell us about it. It is our policy to investigate all complaints or expressions of dissatisfaction to assist us in the improvement of the service we provide.
Submitting a complaint
If you have been unable to resolve any issues with the person dealing with your matter, or the partner with overall responsibility for your matter (as set out in our Engagement Letter), a complaint can be made by email, letter or telephone but we may ask you to send confirmation in writing.
Complaints should be directed to:
Email: [email protected]
Professional Standards Team
Nelsons Solicitors Limited
Pennine House
8 Stanford Street
Nottingham
NG1 7BQ
Telephone: 0115 989 5352
Responding to your complaint
On receipt of your complaint, an acknowledgement letter will ordinarily be issued within five (5) business days. This letter will include the following information:
- The name of the person investigating the complaint;
- If appropriate, confirmation of our understanding of the nature of your complaint and a statement that you should contact us if you disagree with this.
Investigation of complaints
We will promptly and thoroughly investigate all complaints. The investigation will usually be carried out by a suitably qualified partner who has not had direct involvement in the subject matter giving rise to the complaint.
The timescales we hope to achieve are as follows:-
- Within four (4) weeks of receiving your complaint we will either:
- send you our final response after completing our investigation; or
- send you a holding letter explaining why we are not in a position to resolve your complaint and advising when we will make further contact.
- By the end of eight (8) weeks after we have received your complaint we will either:
- send you our final response after completing our investigation; or
- send you a response which explains why we are still not in a position to provide our final response and informing you of your other remedies at that stage.
- On concluding our investigation we will produce a written report which will explain:
- the outcome of our investigation; and
- the nature and terms of any offer of compensation; or
- reasons for not making an offer;
- any further remedies which may be available to you.
We shall assume that the complaint is resolved if we have not heard from you within two (2) weeks of our response.
Complaints referred to us by others
If your complaint has been referred to us by another firm we will deal with it in line with the above procedures. The complaint will be dealt with as if it was received on the date that the referral was received.
If we are satisfied that another firm may be solely responsible for the fault alleged in your complaint, we will refer your complaint to that other firm. This will be done in writing within five (5) working days of the date on which we become satisfied that such other firm may be responsible for the subject matter of your complaint. We will advise you in writing of the action we have taken.
If we believe that another firm may be jointly responsible for the fault alleged in your complaint, we will refer your complaint to that other firm. This will be done in writing within five (5) working days of the date on which we are satisfied that such other firm may be jointly responsible. At this time we will inform you of the action we have taken.
If you are not satisfied – financial product sold or consumer credit event occurred before 1 December 2001
If we have been unable to settle your complaint using our internal complaints procedure, and the service was provided prior to 1 December 2001, you have a right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman, an independent complaints body established under the Legal Services Act 2007, which deals with legal services complaints.
Ordinarily, the time limits for referring complaints to the Legal Ombudsman are:
- Within six (6) months of our final response to your complaint; and
- Within one (1) year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or
- Within one (1) year from the date when you should have reasonably known that there was cause for complaint.
Contact details are as follows:
Email: [email protected]
Post: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough SL1 0EH
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
The Legal Ombudsman does not have the power to deal with some types of clients. Further information is obtainable at www.legalombudsman.org.uk.
Alternative complaints bodies (such as Ombudsman Services, Pro-Mediate and Small Claims Mediation) exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and Nelsons wish to use such an alternative scheme.
Nelsons do not agree to use any of these or similar schemes.
If you are not satisfied – product sold or consumer credit event occurred on or after 1 December 2001
You may refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
There are time limits for the referral of complaints to the Ombudsman. After these time limits have expired, we can choose to object to the Ombudsman looking at the complaint on the grounds that it is “time-barred”.
Generally, these time limits are:
- Six months from our final response (which has to mention the six months time limit); and
- Six years from the event that you are complaining about (or, if later, 3 years from when you knew, or could reasonably have known, you had cause to complain).
If you are not satisfied with our explanation, you can refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Contact details are as follows:
Guidance on this procedure can be found at: http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumer/complaints.htm