NLS Legal Complaints Handling Procedure

We will acknowledge your complaint within five (5) working days. At this point, we will clarify our understanding of the complaint and ascertain what you would like by way of resolution. We will also confirm what happens next, your preferred method of communication and provide information on timescales.

If you are agreeable to having your complaint considered under the Early Resolution stage, this allows concerns to be dealt with quickly and without a protracted process. This stage will be dealt with by our Complaints Handling Representative or another member of staff appointed by them. We will aim to resolve your complaint within ten (10) working days and will confirm the outcome in writing.

If your complaint is complex or involves a more detailed review of documentation and events, we may proceed straight to the Full Investigation Stage (Stage 3). We will inform you if we do not think your complaint is suitable to be dealt with by Early Resolution.

If you do not agree to the Early Resolution process being used or you are not satisfied with the outcome of the Early Resolution process, you may opt to proceed to the Full Investigation stage (Stage 3).

Our Complaints Handling Representative will undertake a full investigation of the matter by reviewing the matter file and speaking to the member(s) of staff concerned. We will complete this stage within eight (8) weeks of acknowledging receipt of the complaint unless otherwise agreed with you.

Once the investigation has been completed, our Complaint Handling Representative will send you a detailed, written response, including any proposed solution within eight (8) weeks of receiving the complaint or in line with any revised timescale provided. This will constitute our final response.

You must always try complaining to us first. In most cases you will not be able to take your complaint further without allowing us the opportunity to put things right. If you are not satisfied with our final response you are entitled to escalate your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

Legal Ombudsman

The Legal Ombudsman won’t ordinarily accept a complaint until either the above internal complaints procedure has concluded or eight (8) weeks have passed since the initial complaint was made.

Clients are free to refer any complaint about our work, fees, or level of service to the Legal Ombudsman but there are time limits. Please be aware that the Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them:

• within six (6) months of receiving a final response to your complaint; and
• no more than one (1) year from the date of the act/omission you are concerned about; or
• no more than one (1) year from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

For further information, please contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333or visit www.legalombudsman.org.uk. The Legal Ombudsman may be contacted at PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH.

Alternative Approved Complaints Bodies

Alternative approved complaints bodies such as ProMediate exist, which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services, if we both agree, but as you can use the services of the Legal Ombudsman, we do not intend to use their scheme.

Solicitors Regulation Authority

If you think a solicitor might be dishonest or have concerns about their ethics or integrity, you have the right to notify our regulator, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). There are no time limits for making a report but there are limits on what the SRA will consider. Please note that the SRA cannot deal with issues of poor service (complaints of this nature should instead be referred to us in the first instance or the Legal Ombudsman). For further information about the SRA’s role, please contact the SRA or visit their website: Reporting an individual or firm