COMPLAINTS POLICY

We are committed to providing high quality legal advice and client care.

However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service provided, please inform us immediately so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.

In the first instance it may be helpful to contact the person who is handling your matter. If you still have queries or concerns, please contact Darren Smith who is the Client Care Partner to whom any final issues can be reported.

Formal complaint procedure

The following outlines our recommended procedure for making a formal complaint. Please note that making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.

1.	A formal complaint should be addressed to our head of practice who can be contacted in writing or by email at complaints@courmacslegal.co.uk. Please set out the details of the complaint.

2.	We will acknowledge your complaint within 7 working days of receipt.

3.	Our head of practice will show your complaint to the person responsible for your matter and ask them to conduct a complete review of the file and to respond in writing. They will also interview any members of staff involved in your matter.

4.	We will aim to respond to your complaint within 14 days from the date the complaint is first received. This response will set out the result of our investigation, any proposed resolution and, if relevant, any procedural changes we will make to ensure the situation does not arise again. Please note we have up to 8 weeks to provide our Final Response Letter. 

5.	In the event that you are not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint, we will refer you to the appropriate authority should you wish to take the matter further.

Taking the complaint further

We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and complaints and redress mechanisms are provided through them and the Legal Ombudsman.

If we are unable to resolve any such concerns to your satisfaction you are entitled to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman – www.legalombudsman.org.uk  – P.O. Box 6167 Slough, SL1 0EH.

The Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints about service issues with lawyers. Normally, you will need to bring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint.

Complaints about a client’s rights under the General Data Protection Regulation must be submitted to the Information Commissioner’s Office – www.ico.org.uk.

Any disputes or legal issue arising from our Client Care and Terms of Business will be determined by the law of England & Wales and considered exclusively by the English & Welsh courts.