Complaints Procedure
Customer Service is really important to us
We know that using a solicitor can be daunting. At The Claims Partnership we try our best to make the process friendly and straightforward. We always try to deliver our best possible service every time and to every client. We want your experience with us to be as positive as possible.
Sometimes things don’t always go to plan and we welcome your feedback and complaints as a chance to understand where we can improve. If something went wrong, we are fully committed to fairly and thoroughly investigating it to resolve any problem that you might have. Please do not hesitate to raise any customer issues or complaints and we will try our best to resolve them quickly and fairly.
How to make a complaint
If you have any worries, or if anything about our service is not as good as you had expected, then we would like to hear from you. Please contact our Managing Solicitor Paul Wilkinson by phone, email or in writing. We keep a record of all issues and always try to find the best solution. Our contact details are below:
Phone: (01772) 562084
Email: paulw@theclaimspartnership.co.uk
Post: 25, Winckley Square, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 3JJ
What do you need to tell us
To process your complaint correctly, we need the following information:
- Your name and contact details
- Your reference number
- Your complaint
- What you would like us to do to set things straight
Our Complaints Process
- If you telephone us, we will try our best to resolve the issue during that telephone call.
- If your complaint is in writing or by email, we will call you to discuss resolution. We will also acknowledge your written complaint and advise you about the timescales for review under the process.
- Once we have finished our investigation, we will contact you to discuss how we believe we can resolve matters to your satisfaction. It may be that we have to contact you during the investigation to discuss your complaint and obtain more information, before providing a formal written response. The Legal Ombudsman Guidelines allow us eight weeks to resolve complaints, but we would try to ensure resolution within 28 calendar days.
Ombudsman Schemes
Once the complaint process is finished, if your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction, or if we have taken more than eight weeks, you might be entitled to refer your complaint to the Ombudsman Scheme or for Alternative Dispute Resolution.
For complaints about service, costs and billing, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman:
Phone: 0300 5550333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Post: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ
If you’re complaint relates to a legal expenses insurance policy, you can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service:
Phone: (0800) 023 4567
Email: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Post: Financial Ombudsman Service, exchange Tower, London E14 9SR
Solicitors Regulation Authority
You can also contact our professional regulatory body-the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Their address is Solicitors Regulation Authority, The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN.
Telephone number: 0370 606 2555
Our SRA number is 622118
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Alternative Dispute Resolution is a type of mediation aimed at resolving problems or complaints. There are professional organisations and individuals that provide ADR – often at a cost. We are happy to consider ADR if your complaint cannot be resolved, but the process requires both parties to agree and to be responsible for the costs of doing so.
Time Limits
The Legal Ombudsman and The Financial Services Ombudsman have time limits that apply to complaints submitted to them. They are as follows:
- Within six months of receiving our final response.
- Eight weeks after lodging your complaint with The Claims Partnership, but only if you have not received our final response.
- Within six years of the date at which you believe we may have made a mistake.
- The Legal Ombudsman will not deal with complaints where the mistake made was before 6 October 2010.
If you are unhappy about your bill or any aspect of the financial arrangements for your claim, you might be able to apply to the court for the Bill to be assessed under the Solicitors Act 1974. Strict time limits apply and we recommend that you seek independent legal advice:
- Within one month from the date of the bill you have a right to seek an assessment
- If it is more than one month, the Court can impose restrictions. If it is more than one year from the date of our bill, you will lose the right to have the Court assess the bill, except in certain special circumstances.
- Please note that the Legal Ombudsman may refuse to consider a complaint about a bill if you have already applied to the Court