Adams Harrison Complaints Procedure

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service and client care to all our clients. When something goes wrong or you are unhappy about any aspect of the service we have provided, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards.

Our complaints procedure

If you have a complaint, please contact us in writing with the details.

What will happen next?

1. We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within three days of us receiving the complaint, enclosing a copy of this procedure. If appropriate, we may ask you to clarify or explain any details at this stage.

2. Our client care partner, Jennifer Carpenter, will then investigate your complaint. This will involve a review your matter file and a conversation with the member of staff who acted for you.

3. Jennifer Carpenter will then send you a detailed reply to your complaint including suggestions for resolving the matter within 21 days of sending the acknowledgement letter.

4. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and Jennifer Carpenter will review her decision or arrange for one of the other partners, unconnected with the matter, to review the decision.

5. We will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explain our reasons for the decision.

6. If you are still not satisfied you can then contact the Legal Ombudsman at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk or PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH, about your complaint. The time limit for making a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman is one year from the date of the act/omission you are complaining about or one year from when you should have known about the complaint. Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must normally be made within six months of the date of our final decision on your complaint, but for further information you should contact the Legal Ombudsman (Tel: 0300 555 0333) or refer to www.legalombudsman.org.uk.

7. You may also have a right to apply to the court for an assessment of a bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. If the Legal Ombudsman thinks your case involves a breach of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Principles, they will refer your case to the SRA. Likewise, if you report a solicitor to the SRA for poor service, they will refer you to the Legal Ombudsman.

8. You may report a firm to the SRA direct if you think a firm has breached an SRA Principle. You may do this by completing and submitting a form available on the SRA website (sra.org.uk). If you have a disability and need help to report your concerns to the SRA; or you would like a printed copy of the report form you should contact the SRA on 0370 606 2555, or write to them at: The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN.

If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.