Our complaints procedure

We are committed to providing a high quality legal service to all our clients.  If, however, you have any complaints, queries or concerns about our work or our charges, please raise them initially with the person carrying out your work.

If that does not resolve the problem to your satisfaction, or you would prefer not to speak to the person or persons concerned, then please contact the Complaints Partner, Jeff Williams or in his absence, his deputy, Matthew Paterson.

A copy of this complaints procedure is available should you request this.  All firms of solicitors are obliged to attempt to resolve problems that clients may have with the service provided.  It is therefore important that you raise any concerns at the first opportunity.

What will happen next?

1. We will record your complaint in our central register.
2. Within five days of receiving your complaint (either verbally or in writing) we will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint and, if appropriate at that stage, asking you to provide more details. If it seems appropriate, we will suggest a meeting at this stage. We will also let you know the name of the person who will be dealing with your complaint.
3. We will investigate your complaint by following the steps below:

• • Discuss the complaint and your matter with the relevant individual who has had conduct of your file to establish the extent of your complaint and to consider if it is justified.
  • Consider and review the relevant file to see if something has gone wrong and if your complaint can be substantiated, and if so to what extent.

4. Within 28 days after first receiving your complaint, we will write fully to you setting out our views on the situation and any redress that we feel to be appropriate.
5. If you are still not satisfied, please let us know. We will then arrange to review our decision. We would generally aim to do this within 14 days.
6. We will let you know the result of our review within five days of the end of this process and write to you confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.

If you are still not satisfied and the complaint remains unsettled, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman.  You must make your referral within 6 months of our final response or no later than 6 years from when the problem occurred or 3 years from when you should reasonably have become aware of the problem.  If you continue to be dissatisfied, you can refer the matter to our regulator, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).  We are duty bound to comply with the SRA Standards and Regulations.  If you are not happy with the outcome of your complaint, and you feel we have breached these regulations or codes of conduct, you can refer the matter to the SRA to review.  Details of how to raise matters with the SRA can be found on their website.

Alternative complaints bodies (such as Ombudsman Services: https://ombudsman-services.org and Small Claims Mediation www.small-claims-mediation.co.uk) exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should and you wish to use such a scheme.   We have however, chosen not to adopt an alternative dispute resolution process. If, therefore, you wish to complain further you should contact the Legal Ombudsman or the SRA (as appropriate).

Contact Information

Complaints Partner Jeff Williams FSM Solicitors LLP Castle House, Castle Street Trowbridge Wiltshire BA14 8AX Tel: 01225 755621	Deputy Complaints Partner Matthew Paterson FSM Solicitors LLP 59 High Street Malmesbury Wiltshire SN16 9AH Tel: 01666 822671
Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806 Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ www.legalombudsman.org.uk Tel: 0300 555 0333	Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) The Cube 199 Wharfside Street Birmingham B1 1RN www.sra.org.uk 0370 606 2555