Kundert Solicitors LLP Complaints Procedure

Complaints Policy

  1. We are committed to providing a quality service to all our clients. This is reinforced by the fact that the firm holds the Quality Mark Standard from the Legal Aid Agency in family work.
  2. We know that however careful we are in dealing with matters things can go wrong.  We recognise this and take complaints whether from clients, other professionals or third parties extremely seriously.
  3. It is only by dealing with complaints promptly, systematically and efficiently that we can hope to maintain quality standards.  There will be no charge to you for dealing with your complaint.

The Procedure

  1. If you have a complaint please contact our Complaints Handler, Andrea Ward at 4 The Quadrant, Coventry, CV1 2EL, telephone no. 024 7622 7741, fax no. 024 7625 1417 or email andrea@kundert.co.uk. If that changes we will let you know.
  2. The complaint will be acknowledged in writing within 48 hours.  The acknowledgement will tell you who is dealing with the complaint and send you a copy of this procedure.
  3. The complaint will be investigated by the Complaints Handler or by a Partner nominated by her.  The file will be examined and the Fee Earner dealing with the file will be asked for an explanation of the circumstances giving rise to the complaint.
  4. We will, as part of our investigation into your complaint, invite you to attend a meeting with us in an attempt to resolve the complaint.
  5. Within 3 days of any meeting we will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions agreed.
  6. If you do not want a meeting or it is not practical for you to attend a meeting, we will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint including any suggestions to resolve the matter within 21 days of the acknowledgement.
  7. If you are still not satisfied you should contact us again and we will arrange for another Partner, or someone unconnected with the matter, or the firm to review our original decision.
  8. We will write to you within 14 days of receiving a request for review confirming our position on your complaint and explaining our reasons for doing so.
  9. Complaining to the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case.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 our final response to your complaint, and
    • No more than one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or
    • No more than one year from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaintFull details of the kinds of complaints which the Ombudsman will accept can be found on their website at http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/.  Their address and contact details are PO Box 6167, Slough,SL1 0EH, telephone no. 0300 555 0333, email enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.
  10. You may alternatively contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) if you have concerns as to whether we have breached any of their professional rules for solicitors. These will be found at www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/standards-regulations/principles and the SRA can be contacted at The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham B1 1RN, or by email to  contactcentre@sra.org.uk.

PLEASE NOTE:

Changes to the above time-scales may take place from time to time.

We will notify you of these together with any explanation of the change.

In addition to our complaint procedure:

We cooperate with the SRA, other regulators, ombudsmen, and those bodies with a role overseeing and supervising the delivery of, or investigating concerns in relation to, legal services.

We respond promptly to the SRA and:

provide full and accurate explanations, information and documents in response to any request or requirement; and

ensure that relevant information which is held by you, or by third parties carrying out functions on your behalf which are critical to the delivery of your legal services, is available for inspection by the SRA.

  1. The expression ‘Partner’ means a member of Kundert Solicitors LLP (Registered No. OC352668).