Grid Law Solicitors Complaints Policy

Our priority is providing you with the best service we can and dealing with all clients fairly. However, sometimes things may go wrong or we may not meet the high standards you expect (this may include any issues relating to our fees.)

If you have any concerns about our services, please tell us as soon as possible. The sooner you do, the sooner we can start putting them right.

How to make a complaint

In the first instance, please raise any concerns with the person dealing with your matter or the director in overall charge. We hope to resolve the majority of concerns informally.

If you wish to make a formal complaint, please put it in writing (either letter or email) and address it to David Walker.

Our office address is Grid Law Solicitors, Tayfield House, 38 Poole Road, Westbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH4 9DW

David Walker’s email address is dwalker@gridlaw.com

When making a complaint, please provide us with the following information:

  • your full name and contact details;
  • what matter or issue your complaint relates to; and
  • how you think our services have fallen short of what you expect.

If you need any help making a formal complaint we will do our best to do so. It’s in both of our interests to try to resolve all issues as quickly as possible.

How we will you deal with your complaint

Within 7 days of receiving your complaint we will write to you to confirm it has been received and we are investigating it.

We will then investigate your complaint. If, during our investigations, we need further information or documents from you we will ask you to provide them. Please do so promptly. We may not be able to fully investigate your complaint unless we have all the facts.

If appropriate, we will invite you to a meeting to discuss your complaint. This can be in person or on the telephone, whichever is most convenient for you. If you wish to bring someone with you to the meeting you are more than welcome to do so. You do not have to attend a meeting if you do not wish to or if you are unable to.

When we have completed our investigations, we will write to you what we have done and how we propose to resolve your complaint.

Our aim is to complete all investigations and resolve your complaint within 28 days of us receiving full details of your complaint.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome

You may also make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman or the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

The Legal Ombudsman may be able to help you if you are unhappy about either:

  • The work we did for you; or
  • The fees we have charged you.

The SRA may be able to help you if you are concerned about our behaviour or think we have broken our rules of professional conduct. For example, this could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.

You can contact the Legal Ombudsman:

by post: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ

by telephone: 0300 555 0333, or

by email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

There are time limits on referring your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. Usually, the complaint must be referred to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final written response to your complaint and within one year of the act or omission about which you are complaining occurring (or within one year of you becoming aware of it).

Further details are available on the website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk.

The Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints from:
  • individuals
  • micro-enterprises (broadly businesses or enterprises with fewer than ten employees and turnover or assets not exceeding €2m)
  • charities, clubs, associations or organisations with less than £1m net annual income
  • trustees of a trust valued at less than £1m
  • personal representatives or beneficiaries of the estate of an individual who had not complained to the Legal Ombudsman before their death

There are other complaints bodies but we do not generally use them. Therefore, if we are unable to resolve your complain between us, please refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.

You can find out more about making a complaint to the SRA by clicking here.

What does it cost to make a complaint?

We will not charge you for investigating or handling your complaint.

If your complaint relates to our fees and all or some of our bill is not paid, we may be entitled to charge interest on the amount outstanding.

The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.