Complaints Handling Procedure

We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).  We are committed to high quality legal advice and client care and aim to offer all our clients an efficient and effective service.   However, if our clients would like to discuss how the service to them could be improved, the level of their bill, or should there be any aspect of our service with which they are not satisfied, we ask them to please contact the person in our firm responsible for complaints handling: Samantha Gallett FCILEx, on  0121 683 5000 and samantha.gallett@brendanfleming.co.uk or by post to 165 Newhall Street, Birmingham, B3 1SW.  If the concern is in respect of the complaints manager, then Rebecca Ward, Director, will handle the complaint.  She can be contacted on 0121 683 5000 or rebecca.ward@brendanfleming.co.uk

We are committed to high quality legal advice and client care and are keen to resolve any concerns as soon as possible and in order to do this, will follow our complaints handling procedure.

Our complaints procedure is as follows:

Step One: 

If they have not already done so, we ask our clients to let us know the full nature of the problem.

Step Two:

Our Complaints Handling Representative will write to the client acknowledging their complaint within five working days.  In this letter, we shall confirm what happens next.

Step Three:

Our complaints Handling Representative shall then investigate the matter by reviewing the matter file and speaking to the member of staff concerned within five working days of acknowledging receipt of the complaint.  If, for some reason, the matter cannot be investigated in this timeframe, then we will write to the client notifying them of this together with the reason why and giving a revised timescale. 

Once the investigation has been completed, our Complaints Handling Representative shall invite the client to a meeting to discuss the issue(s) they have raised and hopefully resolve the complaint.  This meeting will take place within fourteen days of sending the acknowledgement letter to the client.  Following the meeting, our Complaints Handling Representative shall write to the client within five working days of the meeting to confirm the discussion and the solution agreed upon.

If the client does not want to or is unable to attend such a meeting (or the meeting is not necessary), we will be happy to send the client a detailed, written response, including the proposed solution, within fourteen working days of sending the letter acknowledging receipt of the complaint.

Step Four:

If the client is satisfied with our response following the above steps, that will be the end of the matter.  However, if the client is not satisfied, they will be invited to contact our Complaints Handling Representative again and he will arrange for Rebecca Ward, Head of Care and Non-Accidental Injury  to review the decision.   She will write to the client within fourteen days of receiving the request with confirmation of the firm’s final position in relation to the complaint, outlining the reasons and any final redress that is offered.

Step Five: Other avenues

Clients must always try complaining to us first. In most cases they will not be able to take their complaint further without allowing us the opportunity to put things right. 

Legal Ombudsman

We are permitted a minimum of eight weeks to consider the complaint. If for any reason we are unable to resolve the problem between us within that timeframe, then our clients are advised that they may ask the Legal Ombudsman to consider the complaint. 

Clients are free to refer any complaint about our work, fees or level of service but there are some conditions and time limits. The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within a year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within a year of you realising there was a concern. Furthermore, it should be within six months of our final response to your complaint. Failure to comply with these timescales are likely to mean any complaint will not be investigated.

For further information, please contact the Legal Ombudsman via www.legalombudsman.org.uk or via:-

Telephone: 0300 555 0333

Calling from overseas: +44 121 245 3050

Minicom text phone user: 18002 0300 555 0333

Write to: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH

Solicitors Regulation Authority

If someone thinks a solicitor might be dishonest or you have concerns about their ethics or integrity, they have the right to notify our regulator, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).  There are no time limits for making a report but there are limits on what the SRA will consider. Please note that the SRA is not able to deal with issues of poor service (complaints of this nature should instead be referred to the Legal Ombudsman).  For further information about the SRA’s role, please contact the SRA or visit:

https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor.page#report

Further Information

For further information about our complaints handling procedures, please do not hesitate to contact Brendan Fleming on 0121 683 5000 or brendan@brendanfleming.co.uk or by post to 165 Newhall Street, Birmingham, B3 1SW.