Complaints Procedure
Loxley Solicitors Limited (“Loxley”) is committed to providing an outstanding client service to all our clients. We do our utmost to treat all our clients fairly. When a problem arises or something goes wrong, we need you to let us know. This gives us the opportunity to address the issue and to answer your concerns.
If you feel that we have not met your expectations in some way, please speak with the lawyer who is handling your matter, or alternatively their supervising partner. They will do their best to resolve the issue.
If it is not resolved to your satisfaction, however, you can ask it to be dealt with in accordance with our complaints procedure.
How we will try to resolve your complaint
- In the first instance, please make your complaint to the lawyer who is handling your matter, or to their supervising partner. Depending on the nature of your complaint, they may pass on your complaint to their supervising partner or (if they are a partner themselves) to another partner within the firm.
- We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 5 working days and will tell you who will be dealing with your complaint.
- Your complaint will then be investigated. This will usually involve the lawyer who has acted in your matter and one of the (other) partners reviewing your file. We will normally aim to complete our review within 20 working days.
- If we then feel that a meeting or call might resolve the issue, we will contact you to suggest that. We will then follow up on any meeting/call with a letter, to confirm what was discussed and any resolution that we have agreed with you.
- Alternatively, we will send you a detailed written response once we have reviewed your complaint, including with our suggestions for resolving the issue.
- If you are unhappy with our suggestions, or if you feel that your complaint has still not been resolved, you can contact Loxley’s complaints partner, Sam Taylor (sam.taylor@loxleylegal.com), who will then review the matter afresh and speak with the other lawyers involved.
- We will then write to you again, to confirm our final position and to explain the reasons for it.
When contacting us, and in order for us to deal with your complaint effectively, please include:-
- your full name and contact details;
- our file reference (if you have it);
- an explanation of what you think has gone wrong; and
- how you think your complaint could be resolved by us.
If your complaint relates to a bill or to fees that you have been charged, please use the same complaints procedure. In addition, please be aware that you also have the right to object to a bill by making an application to court for it to be assessed under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. If you choose to apply to court, the Legal Ombudsman (see below) may not deal with your complaint about fees.
We will not charge you for dealing with your complaint.
What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint
If you are not satisfied with the way we have tried to resolve your complaint, for whatever reason, you have a right to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. This is an independent complaints body, established to deal with legal services complaints.
The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be referred within 12 months of the act or omission which gave rise to the complaint or within 12 months of when your should have reasonably known there was cause for complaint. You should also refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within 6 months of receiving our final response.
Further information about the Legal Ombudsman, the types of complaint that they will consider, and their timescales and procedures, can be found on their website:
You can contact the Legal Ombudsman directly by telephone on 0300 555 033 (between 9am and 5pm) or by email to enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk. You can also write to the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH.
Solicitors Regulation Authority
Loxley is regulated by the Solicitors Regulations Authority (“SRA”) and we practise in accordance with the SRA’s Code of Conduct. If you have a concern about our professional conduct, you can contact the SRA via their website: