Complaints and feedback

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients and when something does go wrong, we want to know. Our aim is that every complaint will improve our standard of service and reduce the risk of it happening again.

Complaints Handling Procedure

We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). We are committed to high quality legal advice and client care and aim to offer all our clients an efficient and effective service. However, if our clients would like to discuss how the service to them could be improved, the level of their bill, or should there be any aspect of our service with which they are not satisfied, we ask them to please contact the person in our firm responsible for complaints handling: Matthew Shiels, Client Care Director by phone on 0161 8389172, by email m.shiels@awhsolicitors.co.uk or by post to AWH Solicitors, First Floor, One Cathedral Square, Blackburn BB1 1FB.

We are committed to high quality legal advice and client care and are keen to resolve any concerns as soon as possible and in order to do this, will follow our complaints handling procedure.

Our complaints procedure is as follows:

Step One:

If they have not already done so, we ask our clients to let us know the full nature of the problem. In the first instance the problem should be raised with the person dealing with the file.

Step Two:

If the problem cannot be addressed by the person dealing with the file our clients should contact our Complaints Handling Representative who will write to the client acknowledging their complaint within five working days. In this letter, we shall confirm what happens next.

Step Three:

Our complaints Handling Representative shall then investigate the matter by reviewing the matter file and speaking to the member of staff concerned.

Once the investigation has been completed, our Complaints Handling Representative will provide a written response and hopefully resolve the complaint. We aim to do this within 28 days of the complaint being received, and we will let you know if for any reason the investigation will take longer than this.

Step Four:

If the client is satisfied with our response following the above steps, that will be the end of the matter. However, if the client is not satisfied, they will be invited to contact our Complaints Handling Representative again and he will arrange for another Director who is unconnected with the matter to review the decision. He will write to the client within 28 days of receiving the request with confirmation of the firm’s final position in relation to the complaint, outlining the reasons and any final redress that is offered.

Step Five: Other avenues

Clients must always try complaining to us first. In most cases they will not be able to take their complaint further without allowing us the opportunity to put things right.

Legal Ombudsman

We are permitted a minimum of eight weeks to consider the complaint. If for any reason we are unable to resolve the problem between us within that timeframe, then our clients are advised that they may ask the Legal Ombudsman to consider the complaint.

Clients are free to refer any complaint about our work, fees or level of service but there are some conditions and time limits. The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within one year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within one year of you realising there was a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to your complaint.

For further information, please contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333, by email on enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk, or visit the www.legalombudsman.org.uk. The Legal Ombudsman may be contacted at PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH.

Solicitors Regulation Authority

If someone thinks a solicitor might be dishonest or you have concerns about their ethics or integrity, they have the right to notify our regulator, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). There are no time limits for making a report but there are limits on what the SRA will consider. Please note that the SRA is not able to deal with issues of poor service (complaints of this nature should instead be referred to the Legal Ombudsman). For further information about the SRA’s role, please contact the SRA or visit www.sra.org.uk.

Further Information

For further information about our complaints handling procedures, please do not hesitate to contact Matthew Shiels, by phone on 0161 8389172, by email m.shiels@awhsolicitors.co.uk or by post to AWH Solicitors, First Floor, One Cathedral Square, Blackburn BB1 1FB.