Complaints Policy

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.

Our complaints procedure

If you have a concern or a complaint, please contact us as soon as you are aware of the problem so this can be addressed. In the first instance it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues. If you would like to make a formal complaint then please inform us accordingly and we will follow the procedure set out below.

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 then contact the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 6806 Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ , call on 0300 555 0333 or email enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk about your complaint. Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of your receiving a final written response from us regarding your complaint. The Legal Ombudsman has provided further guidance on its service at www.legalombudsman.org.uk

10. 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 the Solicitors Regulation Authority at www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/