Complaints
If you need to make a complaint, you can find the process below. You can also find out about our insurance, and what we do to comply with GDPR.
Complaints Procedure
If you have a complaint, please raise the problem with the solicitor responsible for your matter, or if you prefer, our complaints partner, Sarah Austin.
What will happen next?
- We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within three days of receiving it.
- We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve our complaints partner reviewing your file and speaking to the member of staff who acted for you.
- Within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter our complaints partner will contact you to endeavour to resolve your complaint. If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, our complaints partner may instead offer you a chance to discuss the matter by telephone.
- Within three days of the meeting, or any telephone conversation we have with you instead of a meeting, our complaints partner will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions we have agreed with you.
- In any case s/he will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including his or her suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the written acknowledgement of your complaint referred to in paragraph 1 above.
- At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for someone unconnected with the matter at the firm or, for a sole practitioner: Sarah Austin to review her own decision or provide an appropriate alternative such as review by another independent solicitor to review the decision.
- We will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
- If we have to change any of these timescales we will let you know and explain why.
- If you are still not satisfied, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ about your complaint. Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of the date of our final written response on your complaint but for further information, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333 or at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk. Note that the Legal Ombudsman service cannot be used by businesses or most other organisations unless they are below certain size limits. Further details are available from the Legal Ombudsman.
- If a complaint cannot be resolved you may also be able to ask for it to be referred to a process of alternative dispute resolution using a certified provider. We are not required to agree to such a request. In any case this is not available to businesses, only consumers. We will give you more information about that right if it becomes relevant.
Legal Ombudsman Procedural Rules
The Legal Ombudsman’s procedural rules are set out on their related website
https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/how-we-work/legal-service-provider-journey/
Address
Legal Ombudsman
P O Box 6167
Slough SL1 0EH
Telephone
0300 555 0333
Indemnity Insurance
Our liability to you for a breach of your instructions is limited to £2,000,000. This is unless we expressly state a higher amount in the letter accompanying these terms of business.
We will not be liable for any consequential, special, indirect or exemplary damages, costs or losses or any damages, costs or losses attributable to lost profits or opportunities.
We can only limit our liability to the extent the law allows. In particular, we cannot limit our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence.
The details of our indemnity insurance providers are available at our office or on request.
Please ask if you would like us to explain any of the terms above.
GDPR
Data Protection Act and EU General Data Protection Regulation
By instructing us to act on your behalf, you authorise us to maintain files and confidential accounting information.
We will always maintain your confidentiality. On occasion, the Law Society or Solicitors Regulation Authority may inspect your files under their regulatory authority.
You can request confirmation of the data we hold hold for you.
Since 25 May 2018, your data has been held in accordance with GDPR.
How We Will Contact You
We will communicate with you by email, letter and telephone.
Please advise us if any of these methods of communication not convenient.
We will continue to retain your data and contact details in respect of your matter in compliance with Solicitors Regulation Authority rules.
Solicitors Regulation Authority
As a firm authorised and regulated by Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) we uphold the highest standards of integrity, honesty, professionalism and expertise. We do not discriminate between clients or treat them unfairly.
Any unlikely complaints regarding malfeasance of your property can be addressed to the SRA. In the first instance all concerns should be addressed to Austins to ensure there is no misunderstanding or miscommunication.
Austins Solicitors Limited is Authorised and Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority SRA No: 404976.
Registered office: 3 Chiswick Business Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, Chiswick, London W4 5YA
VAT no: GB 843 258 226
Our regulatory body: www.sra.org.uk
MENU

