Complaints Policy

Client Complaints Policy

Our complaints policy

Allan Jay Paine is 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. 

Whenever possible, please raise any initial client care problems with the person acting on your matter to give them the opportunity of resolving matters with you. Often matters can be quickly resolved in this way.

Our complaints procedure

If you have a concern or a complaint that has not been dealt with to your satisfaction by the person handling your case, or their supervising partner, please contact us as soon as you are aware of the problem so this can be addressed.

If you would like to make a formal complaint then please inform us accordingly and we will follow the procedure set out below. You can contact us in writing, by letter, fax or email or by telephone and your complaint should be addressed to Mandy Bird, Allan Jay Paine Limited 273 Green Lanes London N13 4XE, Telephone 0208 886 1404, Email info@allanjaypaine.co.uk.

Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.

What will happen next?

1.      We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 5 days of our receiving the complaint, enclosing a copy of this procedure.

2.      We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to our client care director, Mrs Mandy Bird, who will review your matter file and speak to the member of staff who acted for you.

3.      Mrs Mandy Bird will then invite you to a meeting to discuss and, it is hoped, resolve your complaint. She will do this within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.

4.      Within five days of the meeting, Mrs Bird will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions she has agreed with you.

5.      If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, Mrs Bird will 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.

6.      At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again to explain why you remain unhappy with our response and we will review your comments. Depending on the matter we may at this stage arrange for another director to review the decision.

7.      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.

8.      If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.

9.      If you are still not satisfied, you can ask the Legal Ombudsman to consider your complaint. We hope that this does not become necessary and that we can resolve matters between ourselves. 

         The Legal Ombudsman’s contact details are: -

         Address: PO Box 6167 Slough SL1 0EH

         Telephone: 0300 555 0333

         Email:  enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

         Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Normally, you will need to bring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint and within the following timescales: -

• No later than one year from the date of the act or omission about which you are complaining occurring; or
• No later than one year from the date you should reasonably have known there were grounds for complaint.

10.   Alternative Dispute Resolution bodies exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and our practice wish to use such a scheme. We have chosen however not to adopt an ADR process. If therefore you wish to complain further, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman as above.

11.   The Solicitors Regulation Authority can also help if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.

Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with them at: www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/

Complaints in relation to bills

The complaints procedure above also applies to complaints arising concerning our bills. There may also be a right to object to the bill by applying to the court for an assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974; the Legal Ombudsman may not consider a complaint about a bill if you have applied to the court for assessment of that bill.

Costs

We will not charge you for handling your complaint.

The Legal Ombudsman’s service is free of charge.

Policy Date - April 2024

Review Date - April 2025