Complaints Procedure

In the first instance, it may be helpful to contact the person working on your case to discuss your concerns, and we will do our best to resolve any issues. Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.

The Procedure

Stage 1

Although it is not essential, you may make your complaint in writing to our Compliance Officer for Legal Practice, Saliha Khaldi, at sk@handssolicitors.co.uk. Alternatively, please telephone 0207 316 3090 if you wish to speak with the Compliance Officer for Legal Practice.

Stage 2

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within two working days of receiving it and will provide you with a copy of this procedure. We take complaints seriously and, as part of our commitment to client care and service, we will investigate the matters raised. We will handle your complaint free of charge.

Stage 3

The Compliance Officer investigating your complaint will have access to the information and personnel reasonably required to investigate your complaint properly and fully. The Compliance Officer may contact you directly to discuss the complaint or request further information to assist the investigation.

Stage 4

The person investigating your complaint will aim to send you a detailed written response within four weeks of the date we received your complaint, together with their findings and any relevant recommendations. If, for any reason, we are unable to provide a final response within four weeks, we will explain the reason for the delay and provide you with an update. In any event, we will provide our final response within eight weeks of receiving your complaint.

What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint

The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently, and this will not affect how we handle your case.

Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will usually check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, you must generally take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

• within six months of receiving our final response to your complaint; and
• no more than one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or
• no more than one year from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint.

The Legal Ombudsman may be able to exercise discretion to consider a complaint outside these time limits in certain circumstances. For more information, please contact the Legal Ombudsman.

If our complaints procedure has been exhausted and we are unable to settle your complaint, we will also provide you with the name and website address of an approved alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body competent to deal with the complaint, and confirm whether we agree to use its scheme.

What to do if you are unhappy with our behaviour

The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could include concerns such as dishonesty, taking or losing your money, or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or another characteristic.

Further information about raising concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority is available at: www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/