COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
1. My aim is to provide an outstanding service at all times. However, if you have a complaint please to let me know as soon as possible. It is not necessary to involve solicitors in order to make a complaint but you are free to do so should you wish. It should be noted that throughout this document all references to the masculine include the feminine.
2. Please note that I will only consider complaints that are raised within twelve months of the act or omission complained of.
COMPLAINTS MADE BY TELEPHONE
3. You may wish to make a complaint in writing and, if so, please follow the procedure in paragraph 4 and 5 below. However, if you would rather speak on the telephone about your complaint than please contact me. I will make a note of the details of your complaint and what you would like done about it. I will discuss your concerns with you and aim to resolve them. If the matter is resolved I will record the outcome, check that you are satisfied with the outcome and record that you are satisfied. You may also wish to record the outcome of the telephone discussion in writing.
4. If your complaint is not resolved on the telephone you will be invited to write to me about it within the next 14 days so it can be investigated formally.
COMPLAINTS MADE IN WRITING
5. Please give the following details:
• Your name and address;
• The detail of the complaint; and
• What you would like done about it.
Please address your letter to Wendy (Full contact details are available on this website under Contacts). I will, where possible, acknowledge receipt of your complaint within seven days and provide you with details of how your complaint will be dealt with.
6. The person appointed to investigate will write to you as soon as possible to let you know he has been appointed and that he will reply to your complaint within 14 days. If he finds later that he is not going to be able to reply within 14 days he will set a new date for his reply and inform you. His reply will set out:
• The nature and scope of his investigation
• His conclusion on each complaint and the basis for his conclusion; and
• If he finds that you are justified in your complaint, his proposals for resolving the complaint.
CONFIDENTIALITY
8. All conversations and documents relating to the complaint will be treated as confidential and will be disclosed only to the extent that is necessary. Such people will include the barrister whom you have complained, and the person who investigates the complaint. The Bar Standards Board is entitled to inspect the documents and seek information about the complaint when discharging its auditing and monitoring functions.
MY POLICY
9. As part of my commitment to client care I make a record of any complaint and retain copies of all documents and correspondence generated by the complaint for a period of six years. My management committee inspects the records regularly with a view to improving services.
10. I hope that you will use my procedure. However, if you would rather not do so or are unhappy with the outcome you may take up your complaint with the Legal Ombudsman. You have six months from the date of our final decision in which to take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. However, should you raise your complaint with Chambers first, the Ombudsman will request you give Chambers eight weeks from receiving your complaint to resolve it. If you are not satisfied with the reply to your complaint or it has been more than eight weeks and you have not had a reply from me then you can write to the Legal Ombudsman at:
Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ.
Complaints are made following the Ombudsman's Procedure and Limits please follow link:
Please note that Chambers will only consider complaints that are raised within six months of the act or omission complained of.
Please note that the Legal Ombudsman, the independent complaints body for service complaints about lawyers, has time limits in which a complaint must be raised with them. The time limits are:
The Ombudsman can extend the time limit in exceptional circumstances. Chambers must therefore have regard to that timeframe when deciding whether they are able to investigate your complaint. Chambers will not therefore usually deal with complaints that fall outside of the Legal Ombudsman’s time limits.
The Ombudsman will also only deal with complaints from consumers. This means than only complaints from the barrister’s client are within their jurisdiction. Clients who are not satisfied with the outcome of the Chambers’ investigation should contact the Bar Standards Board rather than the Legal Ombudsman.
It should be noted that it may not always be possible to investigate a complaint brought by a client. This is because the ability of Chambers to satisfactorily investigate and resolve such matters is limited and complaints of this nature are often better suited to the disciplinary processes maintained by the Bar Standards Board. Therefore, Chambers will make an initial assessment of the complaint and if they feel that the issues raised cannot be satisfactorily resolved through the Chambers complaints process they will refer you to the Bar Standards Board.
To view the decision data published by the Legal Ombudsman in relation to complaints raised and upheld, please follow the link below:
https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/information-centre/data-centre/ombudsman-decision-data/
To view the Barristers Register, held by our regulator, the Bar Standards Board, please click here.
Or contact them via email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
