We want to give you the best possible service. However, in the unlikely event at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service provided then you should inform Toby Brothers immediately, so that efforts to resolve the problem can be actioned without delay.
If you would like to make a formal complaint, then you can read the full complaints procedure which is set out in your client care letter and client information sheet and is again produced here:
“ We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. There may be occasions when you think that your case is not proceeding as smoothly as you feel it should or that we are not dealing with your case as efficiently as you would expect. In these circumstances, we would like to hear from you about this so that we can ensure our standards are upheld. It may be that a simple explanation on the phone will satisfy your query. Our internal complaints procedure is set out below:
- If you have a problem or complaint then you should first make contact by telephone, or in writing directly to the person dealing with your matter who will try and resolve it.
- If it is not possible to resolve your complaint immediately, your complaint will be thoroughly reviewed again, and Toby Brothers will respectfully consider all your concerns.
- You will receive a letter or email acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 5 working days. It will then be investigated, and your file will be reviewed. Any other party handling your case will also be spoken to, such as Counsel or an expert in the case, if appropriate.
- Toby Brothers will invite you to a meeting to discuss and, hopefully resolve your complaint within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter. He will then write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions he has agreed with you.
- If you do not want a meeting, or if it is not possible, a detailed written reply to your complaint will be sent to you within 21 days of the acknowledgment letter.
- If you are still not satisfied then we will arrange for another Lawyer to review the decision, which may mean you must allow your confidential information to be passed to another.
- What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint
- If you are still not satisfied, you can complain to the Legal Ombudsman. You can visit the website at www.legalombudsman.org.uk for more information and The Legal Ombudsman can be contacted by e-mail to enquiries@legalombudman.org.uk or by telephone 0300 555 0333 or post at PO BOX 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ. You must apply to the Legal Ombudsman no later than 12 months after you first raised your complaint with us and no later than six months after you have received the last communication regarding the complaint from us.
If there are any changes to any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.
We appreciate there is a lot of information provided here and therefore if anything is not clear, please feel free to telephone us to discuss anything which concerns you.
Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.
The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case. Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:
- Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint and
- No more than six years from the date of act/omission; or
- No more than three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
What to do if you are unhappy with our behaviour
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help 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, gender, race, sexuality, a disability or other characteristic.
Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Further help:
If you require further assistance, please contact the Professional Ethics helpline