Our Complaints Procedure
We want to give you the best possible service. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about our service then please inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.
In the first instance it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case, the fee earner, to discuss your concerns so they can explain or resolve any issues.
This Policy
Advice about complaints is included in our Terms of Business which is sent to every client upon our instruction to act. This policy is available on request, in our reception and a copy is on our website.
Making a complaint
1. Please set out your complaint in writing and send it to Andrew Wand, the client care director, at Capstick Dale & Partners Solicitors Ltd at 224 Main Road, Gidea Park, Romford, Essex RM2 5HA or to Mr Wand’s email address as shown on our website. Please put the word complaint in the subject line of any email.
2. The complaint will be acknowledged in writing (including by email) within 5 working days of receipt, unless exceptional circumstances apply. The acknowledgement will advise the date by which you should receive our response.
3. Mr Wand will submit your complaint to the fee earner. The fee earner will provide a reply to Mr Wand, together with relevant documentation or the file, within 14 days, unless exceptional circumstances apply.
4. Mr Wand will respond in writing to your complaint within 28 days of the fee earner’s reply setting out their conclusions and any proposed action. This will be our formal response to your complaint.
5. We will try and keep you informed of the progress of the complaint and seek to resolve it within 8 weeks of receipt. You are asked to let us know within 14 days is you are satisfied with our formal response. If no reply is received, we may assume the complaint is concluded.
What to do if you are unhappy with our formal response
If you remain dissatisfied, you should tell Mr Wand in writing who may arrange a telephone call or meeting either with himself or another director to discuss with you why you remain dissatisfied.
If a discussion takes place the director will write to you within 14 days of the discussion to summarise the issues still in dispute and our approach to these issues.
We may, after sending you our formal response, tell you in writing that this concludes our complaints procedure. We will send you a further copy of this policy with the ombudsman contact details with that letter.
What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint
The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently. This will not affect how we handle your case.
Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you may take
your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.
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 you.
If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them.
Contact details:
Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9.00 to 17.00.
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ
What to do if you are unhappy with our behaviour
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can 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 https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/ to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Capstick Dale & Partners Solicitors Ltd (collectively referred to as “Capstick Dale” “we”, “us” or “our” in this policy) is a company registered in England & Wales number 12401319 whose registered office is 224 Main Road, Gidea Park, Romford, Essex, United Kingdom, RM2 5HA.
We are authorised and regulated by the SRA. The Company’s SRA registration number is 8001286. Our professional rules can be found at: https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/standards-regulations/code-conduct-solicitors.