Complaints Policy and Procedure
Client feedback and complaints
We are committed to providing the highest standards of professional legal service to our clients. We strive for continuous improvement across all areas of our work, by listening to and learning from the experiences of our valued clients. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received, we will endeavour to address your concerns promptly and thoroughly. Our complaints procedure is set out below, which explains how such matters can be raised and resolved.
Procedure
If you wish to review the level of services we provide for you, raise any concerns or provide feedback,
please contact the person with primary day to day conduct of your matter in the first instance. If this is
not possible, or your concerns are unresolved , please contact our Client Care team who will deal with
your concerns as a formal complaint under this policy.
How to make a formal complaint under this policy
To help us investigate your concerns and provide a full response, please contact our Client Care Team
by email: clientcare@knightsplc.com, including an explanation of:
• why you feel dissatisfied with the service you have received;
• how you would prefer to be contacted about your complaint moving forward; and
• if there is anything that you would like us to do to resolve your complaint.
Alternatively, you may write to us at: Client Care Team, Knights, The Brampton, Newcastle-under-
Lyme. ST5 0QW. If you prefer to speak to us by telephone, please call 0345 646 0704 and ask for a member of the Client Care Team. If they are unavailable, your call will be returned within one business day.
What happens after I have made a complaint under this policy?
We will acknowledge your complaint, by email or by post, within two working days of receipt. We will
then investigate your concerns, which may include reviewing the relevant files, and discussing the
issues with those working on your matter.
We will contact you if we need any further information from you and, if appropriate, arrange a mutually
convenient time to discuss the complaint by telephone or video call. Once our investigation is complete,
we will provide a formal written final response, setting out our conclusions and, where appropriate, any
proposals to rectify or resolve the matter. We will also remind you of your right to refer your complaint
to the Legal Ombudsman at the end of our complaints process.
We will not charge you for investigating and responding to your complaint.
Complaints are handled independently of the legal work on your matter. If the legal work on your matter
is ongoing, it will continue to progress as normal, assuming no conflict of interests have arisen and you
continue to comply with the terms of our engagement as set out in our client contract. If you have any
concerns whilst your complaint is being investigated, please contact the Client Care team.
Do I have to pay my invoice if I am complaining?
Our terms and conditions of service require invoices to be paid within 30 days, regardless of any complaint having been made. Any outstanding sums due to us will be recovered in the normal way, in accordance with those terms separately from the complaint process.
If the complaint investigation finds that an adjustment or reduction in fees is appropriate, reimbursement will be made promptly at that time.
How long will it take?
We aim to complete our investigation and provide a final response as quickly as possible and, in any
event within eight weeks of receiving your complaint. If our investigations cannot be completed within
this timeframe, we will notify you in writing and seek to agree an extension where necessary. This is
rare, and is most likely when we need the input from third parties outside of our business.
What might the outcome of my complaint be?
If our investigation finds that our service has fallen below our usual high standards, we will apologise.
Where appropriate, we may propose steps to resolve your complaint, and will take internal action to
prevent a recurrence.
What if I remain dissatisfied?
If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our final response, or if you have not received a final response
within eight weeks of submitting your complaint, you may be entitled to refer your complaint to the
Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman will normally expect you to have completed our complaints
procedure before doing so.
The Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints independently and accessing the service will not affect
how we handle your case (if the complaint is ongoing).
Most private individuals and small businesses can use the Legal Ombudsman scheme, but some restrictions apply to larger organisations. These are set out in the Scheme Rules, which can be accessed on the Legal Ombudsman website.
Complaints must usually be made to the Legal Ombudsman within one year of the act or omission about which you are complaining, or one year from becoming aware of the issue. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response.
Contacting the legal ombudsman
You can contact the Legal Ombudsman and find further information about eligibility and timescales
using the following details:
Legal Ombudsman Service, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH
Tel: 0300 555 0333 / Minicom: 0333 555 1777
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk / Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Complaints about your invoice
If your complaint relates to our invoice, you may, in addition to referring the matter to the Legal
Ombudsman, be entitled to ask the court to assess our costs under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974.
Please note that if you do so, the Legal Ombudsman may be unable to consider a complaint about the
same issues.
Concerns about professional misconduct
The Legal Ombudsman considers complaints about the quality of legal services provided to clients. In
the unlikely event that you have concerns about professional misconduct by a solicitor or us, it may be
appropriate to raise these with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
We do not anticipate such issues arising, but please notify us immediately if you have concerns of this
nature. Further information about the SRA, and the Standards and Regulations governing solicitors
and law firms, using the contact information below:
Solicitors Regulation Authority, The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN
Tel: 0370 606 2555 Web: www.sra.org.uk
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
Other ADR services providers are available to deal with complaints in the legal sector, including
ProMediate. However, we consider the Legal Ombudsman the most appropriate forum for clients to
seek resolution of their concerns. Therefore, we have not adopted an alternative ADR procedure and
do not agree to use another ADR organisation.
