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 Complaints Service.
This is an independent, impartial and free service which investigates complaints made by the public about their solicitors. They have a web-site at http://www.legalcomplaints.org.uk/ and you will find there information about their service and how to contact them.
4. Complaints about solicitors bills
If you consider that your solicitors bill is too high, you first need to check what agreement was actually reached with them regarding their charges. At the start of your case, you should have been sent a client care letter setting out details of the charges that would be made in relation to your case. You need to find and read this letter (and any subsequent letters sent to you about costs) to check whether your solicitor has charged you properly or not.
If you consider that your solicitor has overcharged, you can use the remuneration service, which is where the Legal Complaints Service will check the bill to see if it is fair. However you need to deal with this promptly as the application must be made within one month of being told by your solicitor of your right to do this, and most solicitors will include a notice about this on their bill.
Note that the remuneration service cannot be used for bills in connection with court proceedings. Here you will need to challenge the bill via the court.
For more information on the remuneration service and challenging solicitors bills, see the information on the Legal Complaints Service web-site.
5. Financial compensation
The Legal Complaints Service can award a certain amount of compensation, however if you have suffered substantial losses due to your solicitors negligence, you may wish to make a legal claim against them through the courts. To do this you will probably need the help of another solicitor. Solicitors are generally quite happy to act in claims against another firm, even one they know well. However if you have had a particularly bad experience, you may prefer to use a firm in another town. To find a Norfolk and Norwich Law Society member firm which does this work, click the big white ‘search for a solicitor' button at the top right of the screen, and select ‘Professional Negligence' in the drop down list.
6. 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.