Complaints procedure

How to complain

Raise it with me directly in the first instance. Most concerns are resolved quickly once they are out in the open, and often the issue is a misunderstanding about what happens next or how long something is taking.

You can complain by telephone on 01600 735025, or by email to info@jjwlegal.co.uk. If you would rather put it in writing by post, ask me for the correspondence address, as the registered office is not used for case correspondence.

What to tell me

It helps if you can set out, as clearly as you are able:

• What has happened, and when.
• Who you dealt with.
• What effect it has had on you.
• What you would like me to do to put it right.

What happens next

Within 5 working days

I will acknowledge your complaint in writing and confirm my understanding of what it is about. If anything is unclear I will ask you at this stage.

Within 28 days

I will investigate, review the file and the correspondence, and write to you with my findings, my explanation, and what I propose to do about it.

If more time is needed

If your complaint is complex and I need longer, I will tell you why and give you a new date. I will not let it drift without explanation.

Final response

My response will be in writing and will set out my conclusions and any redress I am offering. It will also confirm what you can do if you remain unhappy.

If you are still unhappy

It matters here that JJW Legal is not a solicitors firm and is not itself regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. It is an unregulated legal practice carrying out non-reserved legal services. That affects where an unresolved complaint can go next.

The advice you receive is given by qualified solicitors who are regulated by the SRA on an individual basis. If your complaint concerns the professional conduct of the solicitor who advised you, you can report it to the Solicitors Regulation Authority at sra.org.uk.

Where the work on your matter was a reserved legal activity and was therefore carried out through an SRA regulated firm, that firm's own complaints procedure will apply to it, and the Legal Ombudsman may be able to consider a complaint about it. I will tell you if that applies to your case and give you the details.

If your complaint is about how your personal information has been handled, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.

Complaints about a bill

Fees are agreed with you in writing before any work begins, so a dispute about the amount should be rare. If one arises, raise it with me under this procedure first and I will explain how the fee was arrived at against what was agreed.

Records

I keep a record of complaints and of how they were resolved, so that recurring problems get fixed rather than repeated. That record is held in line with the privacy policy on this site.