Complaints Policy

We are committed to providing the highest level of legal service to all our clients.  However, should you find you become concerned about the level of service we provide, please inform us immediately.  We will act quickly and do all we can to remedy the situation, whilst learning from the experience.

In the unlikely event, you find yourself dissatisfied with the service we have provided, please contact the person who is dealing with your matter, or the head of their department, should they be unavailable, in the first instance and discuss your concerns.  You may find they can easily resolve the issue at this stage.

Should the person acting on your matter or their head of department be unable to resolve your concerns, please contact the practice manager, who will refer your matter to the appropriate person to deal with you concerns.

• by post: Broadway House, 32 – 35 Broad Street, Hereford, HR4 9AR
• by email – c.bates@tamatthews.co.uk
• by phone – 01432 352121

What will happen next

1. Once your correspondence and or complaint has been received, we will send you a letter of acknowledgement within 5 working days, together with a copy of our complaints procedure.
2. Your complaint will be recorded in the Complaints Register and a file specific to your complaint will be opened.
3. After consideration of your complaint, we will determine who the correct person to deal with your matter will be.  This could be the fee earner about whom the complaint is made, the head of department or the managing director. You will be advised who will be dealing with your matter in the letter of acknowledgement.
4. An investigation into your complaint will commence. There are several stages to our investigation.  We aim to complete our investigation within 15 working days from the date of our acknowledgment letter.  Should more time be needed, or we require further information from you or other parties, we will inform you of our revised proposed date when we will respond.
5. At times it may be beneficial to arrange a meeting.  Should you agree to a meeting we will arrange a mutually convenient date and time, to discuss the matter. You will not be charged for this meeting.
6. If you would prefer not to attend a meeting or it is not possible to arrange a meeting.  We will send a detailed written reply to your complaint, including suggestions for resolving the matter.  We aim to send a letter, within 20 working days of the date of the acknowledgment letter.
7. We trust you will be content with the outcome of our investigation.  However, should you not be, the decision may be reviewed. A review of any decision will be undertaken within 10 working days.
8. We will aim to send you a full response, within 5 working days of the end of the review period.

Should you not be satisfied with the outcome of our investigation, you are able to contact the Legal Ombudsman about your complaint.  The Legal Ombudsman will look at your complaint in a fair and independent way. They will not provide you with legal advice.  

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:

(a) within six months of receiving our final response to your complaint;

and

(b) no more than one year from the date of act/omission; or

(c) no more than one year from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

The Legal Ombudsman’s contact details are:-

Telephone: 0300 555 0333 Minicom: 0300 555 1777

Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Post: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH

Alternative Complaints Handling Body

We are required to inform you that alternative complaints handling bodies (such Pro mediate, Brow Farm, Top Road, Frodsham, Cheshire WA6 6SP, 01928 732455, www.promediate.co.uk) exist which are able to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and we wish to use such a scheme. Whilst it is free to use the Legal Ombudsman service, there is a fee for using an alternative complaints handling body. Given the cost and the fact that mediation is not binding on you or us we see no benefit in this and it will be unusual for us to agree to a reference to such a body.

Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA)

In the event that your complaint relates to anything other than poor service, then you may choose to report a solicitor or the firm to the SRA. The SRA works with lawyers, non-lawyers and firms to ensure that they comply with the SRA principles. You may use the SRA website https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/, email [email protected] or you can post a report to Solicitors Regulatory Authority, The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN.