Complaints policy
1. Introduction to the Policy
1.1 Couchman Hanson Solicitors (“the Company”) are a values-based company and we are committed to providing a high quality legal service to all our clients. If you feel that something has gone wrong, we would like you to tell us about it. This will help us improve our stands. We will investigate your complaint fully, fairly and promptly.
1.2 Should you have cause of complaint, please contact the person with conduct of your matter initially at the earliest opportunity with relevant information, in writing.
1.3 There are no charges payable by you for the implementation of this policy.
2. Informal Resolution
2.1 In the first instance, we will seek to resolve your complaint informally. This can happen in a number of ways; a telephone conversation between you and the person providing you with the service and a director, through a meeting, in correspondence or through mediation.
2.2 If the informal attempts to solve your complaint are not resolved, you may then wish to refer the matter to our complaint’s director to handle the complaint under our formal process.
3. Formal Procedure
3.1 Please put your complaint in writing to our Practice Manager, Louise Kilty. This can be by post or by email to l.kilty@couchmanhanson.co.uk.
3.2 Your complaint will be acknowledged by the Practice Manager within 5 working days, who will confirm that the Complaint’s Director, Daniel Couchman, will investigate your matter.
3.3 Your complaint will be recorded in our central register.
3.4 We will then carry out an internal investigation to your complaint, which may include the following:-
a) Discussing your matter with the Head of Department;
b) Discussions with the person responsible for further details;
c) Requesting further information from you;
d) Requesting a discussion/meeting with you to discuss the matter.
3.5 Should we decide a meeting is necessary, any such meeting date with you shall, subject to your availability, be within 10 working days of our acknowledgement of your complaint. Please note, we may determine a meeting is not necessary.
3.6 Once our investigations have concluded, we will write to you either:-
a) With the findings of our investigation and our proposals for the resolution of your complaint within:-
i) 10 working days of any meeting held in accordance with paragraph 3.5 above; or
ii) 15 working days from our acknowledgement letter in accordance with paragraph 3.2 above.
b) To confirm the status of our investigations, including an explanation for any delays and when you can expect to receive a response from us, setting our findings and our proposals for a resolution of your complaint.
3.7 If, after receiving our letter, you remain dissatisfied with the outcome and do not agree with our proposals, you should respond directly to our Complaints Director, Daniel Couchman, detailing the reasons for your continuing dissatisfaction, within 15 working days from the date of our letter responding to your complaint (paragraph 3.6b)). If you are unable to comply with this timescale, do please contact Daniel Couchman in order to agree a reasonable extension of time.
3.8 The matter will then be referred to another director within the Company, who will review the decision and respond to you in writing, within 15 working days of receipt of your letter of continued dissatisfaction, in accordance with paragraph 3.7.
3.9 Please note that if we do not hear from you within the timescales above, we will treat your complaint as having been resolved.
4. If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint
4.1 If, following our response under paragraph 3.8, you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you may refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. They are in independent complaints body established under the Legal Services Act, who can investigate complaints about lawyers. Their contact details are as follows:-
Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ
Tel: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
4.2 From 1 April 2023, the Legal Ombudsman changed their timeframes by which to refer your complaint. You must refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you (paragraph 3.8 above). In addition, you should contact them no more than one year from the date of act/omission, or no more than one year of you realising there was a concern.
4.3 If you are concerned about our behaviour, for example, alleged dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or any characteristic, you can contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority. For more details, visit www.sra.org.uk.
5. Policy Review
5.1 We will review this policy at least annually as part of our overall risk management process. We will also review this policy if:
5.1.1 there are any major changes in the law or practice;
5.1.2 we identify or are alerted to a weakness in the policy;
5.1.3 there are changes in the nature of our business, our clients or other changes which impact on this policy.
6. Further Information
You can get further advice and guidance from the Practice Manager, Louise Kilty.