Complaints Policy

Introduction

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to our clients. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to sort out any mistakes or misunderstandings, and to improve our standards.

Initial concerns

In most cases, an informal chat with the lawyer responsible for your matter will resolve your concerns.

If it does not, you can formalise your complaint or speak to someone other than the lawyer responsible for your matter. Our Complaints Manager, Rick Barrow can record everything you are unhappy about and recommend the best solution for you. You can contact Rick Barrow at rick.barrow@jbgass.com and in his absence, the COLP, Luke Hewitt at luke.hewitt@jbgass.com.

What we need to know

To deal with your complaint correctly, it would be helpful when contacting us if you could provide the following information:

• Your name, contact details and preferred contact method
• File reference number
• Details of your concerns
• How you would like us to put things right.

What will happen next?

1. If you telephone us, we will endeavour to resolve the issue in that call.
2. If you email or write to us, or if your complaint cannot be resolved in a phone call, we will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within two days of receiving it.
3. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve the Department Head reviewing your file and speaking to the member of staff who acted for you.
4. Within fourteen days of sending you the acknowledgement letter our Complaints Manager or the Department Head (if they can resolve the issue) will contact you to discuss and resolve your complaint. This will primarily be done by e-mail but can be done by telephone or in person if you would rather.
5. Within three days of the discussion we have, our Complaints Manager or Department Head will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions we have agreed with you.
6. In any case they will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including their suggestions for resolving the matter, within twenty-one days of sending you the written acknowledgement of your complaint referred to in paragraph 1 above.
7. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for another Director to review the decision.
8. We will write to you within fourteen days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
9. If we have to change any of these timescales, we will let you know and explain why.
10. This concludes our complaints procedure. If you remain dissatisfied, you are entitled to refer the matter to the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within a year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within a year of you realising there was a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of the firm’s final response to you.
11. The Legal Ombudsman’s contact details are as follows:
    1. Telephone: 0300 555 0333
    2. Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
    3. Post: Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6168, Slough, SL1 0EL

12. Most of the time, complaints about solicitors are about poor service, and therefore should be sent to the Legal Ombudsman. If the Legal Ombudsman thinks your case involves a breach of our Principles, they will refer your case to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Likewise, if you report a solicitor to us for poor service, we will refer you to the Legal Ombudsman. However, you should report the matter directly to Solicitors Regulation Authority if you think a firm or anyone regulated has breached an SRA Principle – www.sra.org.uk