Battrick Clark’s complaints handling procedure is as follows:
Our complaints policy
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.
Our complaints procedure
If you have a complaint about our service or a bill that we have rendered on or both, please contact us with the details.
The person to contact is Rashmita Vadher, and she can be reached at Battrick Clark Solicitors, 151 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2RA. Email: [email protected]
What will happen next?
- We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 3 days of us receiving the complaint, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
- We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to Rashmita Vadher who will review your file and speak to the member of staff who acted for you. In the event that the complaint is about Rashmita Vadher the matter will be passed to another director to investigate.
- Rashmita Vadher will then send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including her suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
- At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for another director or someone unconnected with the matter at the practice to review the decision.
- We will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
- If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.
- If you are still not satisfied, you can then contact the Legal Ombudsman at:
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6167
Slough
SL1 0EH
Tel: 0300 555 0333 or 0121 245 3050
Email: [email protected]
There are time limits within which complaints must be made to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) as indicated below.
Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within 6 months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint. Your complaint should also be brought to the LeO within one year from when the problem first occurred (or within one year from when you first became aware of the problem, if it happened more than one year ago) and the problem you are complaining about must have taken place after 5th October 2010 (or, if it happened on or before 5th October 2010, you must not have been aware of it until 5th October 2010).
You may have a right to object to a bill by applying to the Court for an assessment of the bill under Part 111 of the Solicitors Act 1974.
Please note that the Legal Ombudsman may not deal with a complaint about a bill if you have applied to the court for assessment of that bill.
If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman their contact details are as follows:
Visit: http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/[email protected]
Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH
Tel: 0300 555 0333
From overseas, +44 121 245 3050 Minicom call 0300 555 1777
Do not send original documents to the Legal Ombudsman. They will scan any documents you send to make computer copies and then destroy the originals.
Battrick Clark is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and we are duty bound to comply with the SRA Standards and Regulations which include a set of Principles and various codes of conduct. If the complaint is about Battrick Clark or the relevant fee earners conduct and you consider we have acted in breach of our regulatory obligations as set out by the SRA and if you are not happy with the outcome of your complaint, you can refer the matter to the SRA to review.
Alternative complaints bodies (such as Ombudsman Services: https://ombudsman-services.org and Small Claims Mediation : www.small-claims-mediation.co.uk ) exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both Battrick Clark and you wish to use such a scheme.
We have however, chosen not to adopt an alternative dispute resolution process. If, therefore, you wish to complain further you should contact the Legal Ombudsman or the SRA (as appropriate).