Complaints

Our Complaints Procedure

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients.  When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it.  This will help us to improve our service standards.

If you have a complaint, please contact Peter Redmond, who is the firm’s Director and our Complaints Officer. You can call Peter on our main switchboard number 01752 895252, email him at pfr@kingsols.co.uk or write to him at our head office address, Kings Solicitors Ltd, 24 Fore Street, Ivybridge, Devon PL21 9AB.

Please be assured that your complaint will be dealt with promptly, fairly and free of charge. We usually have 8 weeks in which to satisfactorily resolve your complaint. The process is set out below.

Initial concerns

In most cases, an informal chat with the solicitor responsible for your matter will resolve your concerns.

If it does not, you can formalise your complaint or speak to someone other than the solicitor responsible for your matter. Richard, our Complaints Officer, will record everything you are unhappy about and recommend the best solution for you.

What we need to know

To deal with your complaint correctly, it would be helpful when contacting us if you could provide the following information:

• Your name, contact details and preferred contact method
• File reference number
• Details of your concerns
• How you would like us to put things right

What will happen next?

1. If you telephone us, we will endeavour to resolve the issue in that call.
2. If you email or write to us, or if your complaint cannot be resolved in a phone call, we will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within two days of receiving it. We shall also let you know the name of the person who will be dealing with your complaint. If it seems appropriate we shall suggest a meeting at this stage.
3. We shall then record your complaint in our central register. We shall also investigate your complaint by examining the relevant file and speaking to the solicitor concerned.
4. If appropriate we shall then invite you to meet Richard to discuss and we hope, resolve your complaint. We would hope to be in a position to meet with you in this way no longer than 14 days after first receiving your complaint.  If you would prefer not to meet, we can telephone you or arrange a video meeting instead.
5. Within 3 days of the meeting, Richard will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions we have agreed with you. In appropriate cases we could offer an apology, a reduction of any bill or a refund in relation to any payment received.
6. In any case Richard will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including his suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the written acknowledgement of your complaint referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 above.
7. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, please let us know. We shall then arrange to review our decision.  We would generally aim to do this within 14 days.  This will happen in one of the following ways:-

• Richard will review his own decision.
• If possible, given that Richard is sole Director of the firm, we shall arrange for another solicitor employed by the firm and who has not been involved in your complaint to review your complaint.

8. We shall let you know the result of the review within 7 days of the end of the review. At that time, we shall write to you confirming our final position regarding your complaint and explaining our reasons on reaching that conclusion.

Making a Complaint to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO)

If at the end of our Complaints process you are still dissatisfied, you may refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO). You will normally have 6 months from the date of our written response in which to inform LeO and refer your complaint to them. Full details of how to make a referral and their Complaints Procedure can be found by clicking on this link to The Legal Ombudsman

Alternatively, you can telephone 0300 555 0333 or write to them at PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ.

Making a Complaint to the Solicitors Regulation Authority

If your complaint is about anything other than poor service, or if the Legal Ombudsman thinks your case involves a breach of our Principles, they will refer your case to our Regulator, The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). You can also make a complaint directly to the SRA.

The SRA could help you if you think a solicitor might be dishonest or you have concerns about their behaviour.

Examples include:

• Shutting down their law firm without telling you.
• Dishonesty or deliberately overcharging you.
• Taking or losing your money.
• Treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.

Click on this link to find out more about how to report a solicitor or firm to the SRA