Complaints
Unlike some other local law societies, the Norfolk and Norwich Law Society does not operate a complaints service for members of the public to use regarding complaints against its members. However we set out below some guidance for you to follow if you have a complaint about your solicitor.
1. Speak to your solicitor about it
Sometimes the problem is simply a breakdown in communication. For example your solicitor may be taking a very long time to deal with your case because he is waiting to hear from someone else. Talking to him or sending him a letter may resolve the problem.
2. Speak to your firms complaints partner
If the problem is something you do not feel able to speak to the solicitor concerned about, you should try to speak to someone else at the firm. All firms should have a ‘complaints partner' who has responsibility for dealing with any complaints on behalf of the firm. When the firm first took on your case, you were probably told who this person was in the initial ‘client care' letter that will have been sent to you at that time. However if you no longer have this, then just ring the firm and ask the receptionist to let you have the name of the firms complaints partner.
You should then contact the complaints partner. It is probably best if you write him a letter, setting out your problem in detail. Or you can ask for an appointment to go in and see him and explain the problem. Generally problems can be resolved at this stage, and the Legal Complaints Service will expect you have done this before approaching them.
3. Contact the Legal Ombudsman.
If you are not satisfied with the your solicitors response to your complaint, you have the right to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.
If you decide to do this, the following time limits will apply:
* Your complaint must be made to the Legal Ombudsman not less than 12 months after the thing you are complaining about happened, or not less than 12 months after the time you first found out about it, or ought to have known about it.
* Your solicitors then have eight weeks to respond to your complaint, during which time the Ombudsman will expect you to wait until they have responded.
* If the solicitors do not respond or if you are unhappy with their response you can then make a complaint to the Ombudsman
* Your compliant to the Ombudsman must be made within six months of your solicitors final response to you, or if you do not receive any response from them, then within the six months plus the eight week period they had to respond.
The Legal Ombudmsan's contact details are as follows:
Address : PO Box 15870 Birmingham B30 9EB
Telephone : 0300 555 0333
Website : www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Note that you should not send any original documentation to the Legal Ombudsman as they scan and then destroy all paperwork sent to them.
4. Solicitors Regulation
Finally it is worth mentioning that the solicitors profession is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority which has a web-site at http://www.sra.org.uk/. Here you can find information about their work, and read the Solicitors Code of Conduct which sets out how solicitors are expected to work.