What to do if you are unhappy about our service?

Who can complain to us?

We will investigate any issues we find out about.

However, to protect our clients’ confidentiality, we can only accept complaints about our service from clients or, in limited circumstances, beneficiaries.

Please note that we can only consider complaints about work done in the previous 12 months unless you were unaware of the issue, in which case you should contact us within 12 months of becoming aware.

Who should you contact if you have a concern?

If you are unhappy with what is happening, the best way of sorting it out is to tell the person working for you.  Most issues can be quickly resolved in this way.  Alternatively, ask for their team leader.

We expect all of our staff to be helpful if you tell them you’re not happy – to deal with the issue as sympathetically, promptly and effectively as possible, and to try to understand why you are unhappy.

If you prefer, contact our Client Services Team:

·     by email to enquiries@birchallblackburn.co.uk

·     by post – 14th Floor, St James’s Tower, 7 Charlotte Street, Manchester, M1 4DZ

·     by phone – 0161 238 5634.

What will we do?

If it seems that we can promptly resolve the issue, you are entitled to expect that we will try to resolve it informally and we will try to do so.

If an informal resolution is not appropriate, we will follow our formal complaints procedure.  You may request a copy of this if you wish, either from the person working for you or from our Client Service Team.

What if we cannot resolve your complaint?

You may refer any complaints about our service to the Legal Ombudsman if we have been unable to agree on a resolution.  This is an independent service and will not affect how we handle your case.

The Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first, and you then must refer the complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of the conclusion of any complaint and no later than 1 year after the issue arose (or the date on which you knew or should have realised that there might be an issue).

If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them:

• through their website – www.legalombudsman.org.uk
• by email to – enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
• by post – PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH
• by phone – 0300 555 0333.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority do not deal with problems about our service, as this is an issue for the Legal Ombudsman, but will consider more serious conduct issues.  In the unlikely event that your concern is of this nature, you can contact the SRA through their website – www.sra.org.uk.