Our Complaints Policy

Judith Thompson (Managing Partner) is responsible for our complaints handling procedures at Samuels Solicitors.

A complaint is any expression of client dissatisfaction, however it is expressed.

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 standards.

Our Complaints Procedure

If you have a concern or a complaint please contact us as soon as you are aware of the problem so that this can be addressed. You may complain in writing to Judith Thompson at our office address or by email to jmt@samuels-solicitors.co.uk. In the event that the complaint relates to this Partner you may complain to another partner. We will always endeavour wherever practicable to deal with your complaint independently.

Complaints should  be raised within one year of discovering the cause for complaint.

Clients have the right to complain about or challenge a bill. Clients can challenge a bill by applying for an assessment of the bill under Part 111 of the Solicitors Act 1974. Clients should note that the Legal Ombudsman may not consider a complaint about the bill if a client has applied to the Court for assessment of the bill.

What will happen if you make a complaint?

• You will receive an email/letter acknowledging your complaint within seven days of you raising your concerns, confirming that the complaint is being investigated and by whom. You may at this stage be asked for clarification of your complaint.
• Your complaint will be investigated which will normally involve reviewing your matter file and speaking to the member of staff who acted for you. Within 6 weeks, you can expect to receive a written response to your complaint or an invitation to a meeting to discuss and, it is hoped, a resolution to your complaint.
• If there is a meeting to resolve the complaint, we will write to you within seven days of the meeting to confirm what took place and any solutions agreed with you.
• At this stage, if you are still not satisfied you should contact us again to explain why you remain unhappy with our response, we will review your comments and we may at this stage arrange for another Partner to review the decision. We will write to you within 3 weeks of receiving your request for a review confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
• If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.
• If you are still not satisfied, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman about your Complaint. 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.

You can contact the Legal Ombudsman via any of the following methods:

• Letter to  PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH
• or call 0300 555 0333
• via e-mail enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
• visit their website at www.legalombudsman.org.uk

We will record your complaint and outcomes in our central register.  This will help us to review any procedures and help us to improve our standards.

If you need any further details about our complaints procedure, please contact us today. 

Updated 29 February 2024