Our Complaints Policy

Our Complaints Policy – Updated April 2023

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards. We are sorry that you have to take this step in making a complaint. We are committed in dealing with your complaint and to reach a satisfactory conclusion.

Our Complaints Procedure

In most circumstances, your issue can be resolved by directly contacting your case worker. If this hasn’t worked, then you are entitled to make a complaint. If you wish to make a complaint, the following steps are to be followed:

  • We ask that you initially put your complaint in writing. We will not deal with complaints over the telephone, or any social media platform. Your written complaint should be addressed to our complaints manager in the following format:

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL

Complaints Manager

Parker Thomas

2 Wilmslow Road

Manchester

M14 5TP

 

  • You can also email your letter to complaints@alison-law.co.uk.
  • The person responsible for overall complaints handling is the complaints manager for the Firm. However, Complaint Manager is able to delegate this role to another member of staff who will have equal position in this firm or an independent complaints handler.
  • We ask that you do not send us more than one email in regard to your complaint, as we investigate these in chronological order of receipt, therefore your complaint may take longer to be actioned should you send more than one message.

 

What Will Happen Next

  1. We will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint and asking you to confirm the details set out. We will also let you know the name of the person who will be dealing with your complaint. You can expect to receive our letter within seven working days of us receiving your complaint.
  2. We will record your complaint in our central register and, if necessary, open a separate file for your complaint.
  3. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to our Client Care partner/member or delegated to an independent complaints handler who will review your matter file and speak to the member of staff who acted for you.
  4. Complaint Manager will send you a detailed reply to your complaint, including his suggestions for resolving the matter. He will do this within 42 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
  5. If you are still not satisfied, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ about your complaint. Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of the date of our final decision on your complaint but for further information, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333 or email them at equiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.
  6. Ordinarily you can also ask the Legal Ombudsman to investigate your complaint if you are referring your complaint within 1 year of the problem happening, or 1 year from when you found out about it.
  7. Alternative complaints bodies such as ProMediate (http://www.promediate.co.uk/) exist, which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and our firm wish to use such a scheme. Parker Thomas does not agree to use ProMediate as we prefer the Legal Ombudsman’s clear adjudication process.
  8. We have 8 weeks from the date we receive your complaint to fully investigate and provide our final response to you.
  9. If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.
  10. You will not be charged for our time spent dealing with a complaint internally.
  11. If you are dissatisfied with our bill, you have the right to apply to the High Court for an assessment of our charges by an Officer of the Court under ss. 70, 71 and 72 of the Solicitors Act 1974. We hope that before making such an application you would first use our complaints procedure explained above.
  12. If you have any concerns about any misconduct or breach of the SRA Code of Conduct by our firm such as taking or losing your money, dishonesty or discrimination, you can also report the matter to our regulatory body, the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Their details are:

The Solicitors Regulation Authority

The Cube

Wharfside Street

Birmingham

B1 1RN

0370 606 2555

https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor

Copyright © 2023– Parker Thomas Solicitors is a trading name of Alison Law Solicitors LLP, A limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales under number OC378803. Registered office: Alison House, 437-441 London Road, Sheffield, S2 4HJ. Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority of England and Wales with registered number 573279. Parker Thomas Solicitor’s logo is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.
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