Our Complaints Procedure
Our complaints procedure is easily accessible for all our clients and is available free of charge. The information within the Complaints Policy will enable you to make a complaint and give you sufficient information to understand how it will be handled.
Our initial response will be in a timely manner and will reassure you that your complaint has being taken seriously. Your complaint will be treated fairly, courteously, and you will also be updated on the progress of your complaint.
Our objective is to view a complaint as an opportunity for improvement in our client care. All complaints will be answered in an objective and unbiased manner.
The information you provide in relation to your complaint will be treated with confidentiality.
Sterling Shore Solicitors have adopted a client focused approach and hope that any feedback including complaints will show our commitment to resolving any issues by taking the appropriate action.
If you face any issues or difficulties with communication such as hearing difficulties, disability, language barriers or other cross-cultural issues we will always look at ways to overcome those challenges. Please feel free to raise these at the time of raising your complaint.
Complaints Policy
On the outset of every case, Sterling Shore Solicitors send you our Standard Terms of Business. It is important that you raise any initial concerns if you feel you are able to with the person responsible for your case.
Where they have been unable to deal with your concerns the letter names the person to whom you should raise your complaint with if you are dissatisfied with this firm’s service.
Complaints must be made in writing by letter or e-mail. If the complaint is of a complex nature, you must provide comprehensive information in order to investigate your concerns.
If the complaint is of a simple nature then it may be possible to deal with it by telephone or by a meeting but, in any event, the outcome of the complaint will be confirmed by this firm to you in writing.
Sterling Shore Solicitors will make every effort to acknowledge your complaint within 14 days although it may not be possible to provide a full response within this time.
Sterling Shore Solicitors will make every effort to deal with the complaint in detail within 28 days. If it is not possible to deal with the complaint within 28days, we shall inform you of the nature of the difficulty in dealing with your complaint within this timeframe and put forward an alternative. Please note we have eight weeks to consider your complaint. If we have not addressed your complaint within this time, you may escalate your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.
Sterling Shore Solicitors will make every effort to investigate your complaint promptly and thoroughly, an explanation will be given to you of both the investigation and any appropriate action taken.
For reasons of confidentiality details of staff involvement may be treated with discretion. If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaint, then you will be informed that you have the right to take the complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.
Their details are:
Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ
enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.
The Legal Ombudsman has a time limit from which complaints can be made and this is 6 months from the solicitors’ final response, subject to 6 years from the act/omission or 3 years from deemed knowledge with a back stop of the 6 October 2010, unless previously unaware.
