Complaints Handling Procedure

Our commitment

We are committed to providing a high quality legal service to all our clients. When something goes wrong, we need our clients to tell us about it. This will help improve our standards. Whenever possible, please raise any initial client care problems with the person acting on your case to give them the opportunity of resolving matters with you. Often, matters can be quickly resolved in this way.

If you are unhappy about any aspect of the service you have received, or about the bill, please contact us by post to our office at The Park Lane Centre, Park Lane, Bradford, BD5 0LN, telephone: 0800 999 247 2 or email [email protected]. We have a procedure in place which details how we handle complaints as follows:

Our Procedure

1. A complaint is an oral or written expression of dissatisfaction which alleges that the complainant has suffered (or may suffer) financial loss, distress, inconvenience, or detriment.
2. We aim to resolve any complaint you have about the service we have given you as quickly as possible. If you are unable to sort things out with the person who has been dealing with you please contact Balaal Hussain Khan, Director ([email protected]).
3. Once we have received your complaint, Balaal Hussain Khan will write to you within 5 days to explain how your complaint will be investigated if a complete response to your complaint has not been made by that time. You will be told the latest date by which a complete answer will be given to your complaint (this should be not more than 28 days after we received your complaint). If you have made the complaint verbally - either at a meeting or on the telephone - we will set out in our full response our understanding of the nature of your complaint.
4. The assessment of the complaint will be based upon a sufficient and fair investigation. We will explain in writing our findings and where the complaint is upheld will offer remedial action or redress. This will be actioned promptly.
5. If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our handling of your complaint, please feel free to contact Rabina Ditta, Solicitor Advocate ([email protected]), who will conduct a separate review of your complaint. You will be told about the conclusion of this review within 28 days.
6. If after following the review process you remain dissatisfied with any aspect of our handling of your complaint, you may contact directly the Legal Ombudsman to ask them to consider the complaint further:
   
   

   Legal Ombudsman
   PO Box 6806
   Wolverhampton
   WV1 9WJ

   
   

   Tel no: 0300 555 0333
   Email:[email protected]
   Website: http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk

   
   

   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.

   
   

   Unless it agrees there are good reasons not to do so, the Legal Ombudsman will expect you to allow us to consider and respond to your complaint in accordance with the procedure set out above in the first instance. The ombudsman deals with service-related complaints.

   
   
7. If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.

Alternative dispute resolution

Alternative complaints bodies exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and our firm consent to use such a scheme. In the event that you wish to use an alternative complaint body you should advise us and we will then state if we agree.

Complaints in relation to bills

The complaints procedure also includes complaints arising concerning our bill. There may also be a right to object to the bill by applying to the court for an assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974; and that if all, or part, of a bill remains unpaid, the firm may be entitled to charge interest.

Raising concerns with our regulator

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) can help you 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. You can find information about raising your concerns with the SRA at www.sra.org.uk in the ‘For the public’ section.