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 to the Director of Professional Standards by email, letter or telephone but we may ask you to send confirmation in writing.
Complaints should be directed to:
Email: professionalstandardsteam@nelsonslaw.co.uk
Professional Standards Team
Nelsons Solicitors Limited
Pennine House
8 Stanford Street
Nottingham
NG1 7BQ
Telephone: 0115 989 5352
Full details should be provided including the background leading up to the complaint and details of all areas of concern.
Responding to your complaint
Upon 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 aim 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.
Rights if you are not satisfied
If we have been unable to settle your complaint using our internal complaints procedure, 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: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Post: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough SL1 0EH
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
The Legal Ombudsman does not have power to deal with some types of client. 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.
Online instructions
If we are unable to resolve your complaint, and it relates to a contract we entered into online or by other electronic means, you may also be able to submit your complaint to an approved alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provider in the UK via the EU ‘ODR platform’.
The ODR platform is an interactive website offering a single point of entry for disputes between consumers and traders relating to online contracts. The ODR platform is available to consumer clients only, i.e. where you have instructed us for purposes outside your trade, business, craft or profession.
The website address for the ODR platform is: http://ec.europa.eu/odr.
Rights where you think there has been professional misconduct or a regulatory breach
If your complaint is about professional conduct or regulatory concerns you may refer it to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Email: report@sra.org.uk
Address: The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN
Telephone: 0370 606 2555