Complaints Procedure

Client-facing complaints policy

We are committed to providing a high quality legal service and to dealing with all our clients fairly. We acknowledge that we may not always get it right so if something has gone wrong, including in relation to the bill, we need you to tell us.

How do I make a complaint?

You can contact us in writing (by letter, fax or email) or by speaking with our complaints director, whose contact details are:

Mr L Peckham, 60-66 Lugley Street, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5EU
Telephone: (01983) 524431
Fax: (01983) 525971
Email: lp@roachpittis.co.uk

To help us to understand your complaint, and in order that we do not miss anything, please tell us:

• your full name and contact details

• what you think we have got wrong

• what you hope to achieve as a result of your complaint, and

• your file reference number (if you have it)

If you require any help in making your complaint we will try to help you.

How will you deal with my complaint?

We will record your complaint centrally.

We will write to you within five working days acknowledging your complaint, enclosing a copy of this policy.

We will investigate your complaint. This will usually involve:

• reviewing your complaint

• reviewing your file(s) and other relevant documents, and

• speaking with the person who dealt with your matter

We may also need to ask you for further information or documents. If so, we will ask you to provide the information within a specific period of time.

We may also, if appropriate, invite you to a meeting to discuss your complaint. You do not have to attend if you do not wish to or if you are unable to. We will be happy to discuss the matter with you on the telephone.

We will update you on the progress of your complaint at appropriate times.

We will write to you at the end of our investigation to tell you what we have done and what we propose to do to resolve your complaint. We will aim to do this within 15 days of the date of our letter of acknowledgement.

What if I am not satisfied with the outcome?

If you are unhappy with the outcome of our complaints handling procedure please first let us know and we will review the matter.

We have eight weeks to consider your complaint. If we have not resolved it within this time you may complain to the Legal Ombudsman. If you are not satisfied with our handling of your complaint you can ask the Legal Ombudsman to consider the complaint.

If you are still unhappy you can ask the Legal Ombudsman to look into your complaint. You can contact the Legal Ombudsman:

• by post at PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH

• by telephone: 0300 555 0333, from 8.30am to 5.30pm

• by email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

• ww.legalombudsman.org.uk

You must refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final written response to your complaint and no more than one year from the date when the problem arose or, if you were not initially aware of the problem, within one year of the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint. These time limits apply to complaints referred to the Legal Ombudsman from 1 April 2023. Further details are available on the website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk.

The Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints by consumers and very small businesses. This means that some clients may not have the right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman, eg charities or clubs with an annual income of more than £1 million, trustees of trusts with asset value of more than £1 million and most businesses (unless they are defined as micro-enterprises). This does not prevent you from making a complaint directly to us about the service you have received or about the bill.

What will it cost?

We will not charge you for handling your complaint.

Please note that if we have issued a bill for work done on the matter, and all or some of the bill is not paid, we may be entitled to charge interest on the amount outstanding.

The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.

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 to see how you can raise your concerns with the SRA http://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/