Hay & Kilner complaints procedure
We are committed to providing you with a high quality service and to maintaining that high quality service. So that we may do this, we need you to tell us when something goes wrong.
If you have a complaint, please contact Tom Whitfield, our Complaints Partner, and provide them with details of your complaint.
What will happen next?
- The Complaints Partner will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 48 hours.
- If no further information is required, the Complaints Partner will send you a written response to your complaint within 10 working days of the acknowledgment.
- If further information or a meeting is required, the Complaints Partner will provide a written response to your complaint within 10 working days of the receipt of the information or the date of the meeting. The Complaints Partner will notify you of any necessary changes to the timescales.
- In the written response, the Complaints Partner will say whether or not your complaint is upheld and they will provide reasons for the decision.
- If your complaint is upheld, the Complaints Partner will set out what the Firm offers you in response to your complaint. This may include compensation, an apology and/or an offer to rectify the position.
- The Complaints Partner will also take steps to ensure that the circumstances which led to the complaint are not repeated.
- If you are not happy with the outcome of our Complaints Procedure or, if your complaint is not resolved within eight weeks, you may be able to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, which body handles complaints against lawyers.
- The Legal Ombudsman will deal with complaints by all members of the public, small businesses, charities, clubs and trusts. Further details are available here.
- The Legal Ombudsman may not deal with a complaint about an invoice if you have applied to the Court for an assessment of that invoice.
- The Legal Ombudsman’s contact details are: PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH
Helpline: 03005550333 - Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk - Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
- 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 and within one year of the act or omission about which you are complaining or, if outside of this period, within one year of when you should reasonably have been aware of the act or omission.
If these deadlines are not met, the Legal Ombudsman may refuse to deal with your complaint.
- We shall not charge you for dealing with your complaint.
- Any complaints from clients and third parties in relation to insurance distribution activities will be dealt with under this Complaints Procedure.
- Alternative complaints bodies such as Ombudsman Services exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and this Firm wish to use such a scheme. We do not wish to use such alternative complaints bodies as we consider that the Legal Ombudsman has the most experience to deal with such complaints.
- The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help if you are concerned about our behaviour, e.g., treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic, taking or losing your money or, dishonesty. You can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority here: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor/