Complaints
We are committed to providing a high-quality service, but if something goes wrong, we want to hear about it so we can address the issue and improve. If you have a complaint about our service or charges, please contact us as soon as possible. You can raise your concerns directly with Geoffrey Caesar (being a freelance solicitor, he is responsible for handling all complaints). You may send your complaint in writing via email or letter, or communicate it by telephone – please use the contact details provided on this website. We will acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days of receiving it, and we will aim to investigate and provide a full response within 14 days. If the matter is complex and requires more time, we will inform you and update you on the progress.
Our complaints process: When we receive a complaint, we will record it and look into the issues you’ve raised. Geoffrey will review your matter file and any relevant communications, and may contact you for further details or clarification. We will then provide you with a written response outlining our findings and, where appropriate, offering remedial actions or a solution. We aim to be fair and transparent in this process.
If you are not satisfied: If you are not happy with our final response to your complaint, or if we have not resolved it to your satisfaction within 8 weeks of you raising it, you may have the right to escalate the matter to the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman is an independent service that resolves complaints about lawyers. Please note: The Legal Ombudsman normally expects you to attempt to resolve the complaint with us first, and then refer it to them within six months of our final written response.
The Legal Ombudsman also has time limits for accepting complaints. The Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within one year of the date of the problem you are complaining about or within one year of when you discovered the problem. They also require that you bring your complaint to them within six months of our final response to you.
Not all clients may be eligible to complain to the Legal Ombudsman. In general, individuals, very small businesses, charities, clubs and trusts are within the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction. Large businesses (e.g. with 10 or more employees or other exclusions as defined by the Ombudsman) may not be eligible. You can check the Legal Ombudsman’s criteria on their website or ask us for guidance.
Contact details for the Legal Ombudsman:
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Postal address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ
Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA): The Legal Ombudsman deals with service-related complaints. If your concern is about professional misconduct, for example, if you believe we have breached an SRA Principle or failed to comply with the SRA’s regulatory requirements, you can also refer the matter to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The SRA can investigate issues such as dishonesty, taking or losing your money, or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic. You can visit the SRA’s website (www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems) for more information on how to report a professional conduct issue.
We sincerely hope that you never have cause to complain. However, if you do, we pledge to handle your complaint promptly, fairly, and thoroughly. Your feedback is valuable to us and helps improve our services.