Fairstep Solicitors are committed to providing a high quality legal service to all our clients.
When something goes wrong,
we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards.
Our complaints procedure
If you have a concern or complaint, please contact us as soon as you are aware of the problem so this can be addressed.
What will happen next?
- We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within five days of our receiving the complaint, enclosing
a copy of this procedure.
- We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to our client care director, Patrick Cooney, who will review your matter file and speak to the member of staff who acted for you.
- Mr Cooney will then invite you to a meeting to discuss and, it is hoped, resolve your complaint. He will do this within
14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
- Within three days of the meeting, Mr Cooney will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions he has agreed
with you.
- If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, Mr Cooney will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint,
including his suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
- At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again to explain why you remain unhappy with our
response and we will review your comments. Depending on the matter we may at this stage arrange for another partner to
review the decision.
- We will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint
and explaining our reasons.
- If you are still not satisfied, you can then contact the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 15870, Birmingham B30 9EB or call 0300
555 0333 about your complaint. Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of your receiving
a final written response from us regarding your complaint. The Legal Ombudsman has provided further guidance on its service
at www.legalombudsman.org.uk.
The time limits in order to complain to the Legal Ombudsman are ordinarily;
- six years from the act/omission; or
- three years from when the complainant should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
If we have to change any timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic. Please visit the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s website for further information.