Complaints Procedure

1. This is the complaints procedure for clients.

2. It allows clients or ex-clients to make one complaint about the handling of their case. It does not permit a client or ex-client to add subsequent complaints that could and should have been raised in the original complaint unless compelling reasons justify it. Complaints should ideally be raised as soon as possible and within 3 months unless good reason is shown. Any delay should be adequately explained.

3. The aim is to give all clients a good service at all times.

4. Complaints are treated as confidential although discussion of them with other lawyers or advisers or officials from the Bar Standards Board for advice may take place.

5. Your name is not revealed to others, save as set out in para.4 above.

6. Chambers will endeavour to deal with your complaint promptly and ideally in accordance with the time lines below.

7. Flexibility will be shown in suitable cases of course.

Complaints Must be made in Writing and by Email to the Clerk

8. If you wish to make a written complaint please provide the following details:

• Your name, telephone number and an email address;
• The details of your complaint – each complaint must be numbered and supported by any relevant documentation and typed out in a Word document.
• What you would like done about it.

 

Procedure for Dealing with your Complaint

9. The clerk will formally acknowledge the complaint within 7 days. Any delay to that timeframe should be adequately explained. There are then a number of ways in which your complaint may be dealt with:

(a) By discussion between the complainant and the barrister over the telephone or at a face-to-face/virtual meeting. Any discussion should be arranged within 21 days of the clerk acknowledging the written complaint with both parties offering 3 dates and times in the
working week. Any delay to that timeframe should be adequately explained

(b) By correspondence between the complainant and the barrister. The barrister must respond to the written complaint within 21 days of the clerk acknowledging the written complaint. Any delay to that timeframe should be adequately explained. Following receipt of the barrister’s response the complainant must indicate within 14 days whether the barrister’s response is satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

The complainant has the sole choice of adopting either para. 9(a) or 9(b).

(c) If the complainant deems the response is not satisfactory and cannot be resolved the complainant has the right to ask the Head of Chambers to review the complaint and the response of the barrister whereupon a Final Review by the Head of Chambers will take place. Any request for a Final Review must be made within 14 days of the conclusion of para.9(a) or 9(b). The Final Review will set out the nature and scope of the investigation and the findings in relation to each numbered complaint. The format for dealing with the complaint will be at the sole discretion of the Head of Chambers with the object of dealing with the matter expeditiously and time and cost efficiently. If any complaints are upheld proposals for resolving the complaint will be made.

10. If the complainant indicates that he/she is not happy with the Final Review the complainant may make a formal complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, the independent complaints handling body for complaints about lawyers. Please note that the Legal Ombudsman imposes time limits within which to make your complaint. You must complain to the Legal Ombudsman within one year of the act or omission, or one year after you first realised there was a problem. Additionally, you have six months from the date of the final response to refer your complaint to the ombudsman. These rules apply to complaints made on or after April 1, 2023.

The current address is:
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 15870,
Birmingham
B30 9EB

Telephone number: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk