Complaints Policy for Clients
Wysocki Quinn Woollam (a trading name of WQW Limited) (“WQW”)
Complaints Handling Policy revision August 2021
Our complaints policy
We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. When a problem arises or something goes wrong, we need you to let us know. This gives us the opportunity to address any issues and to try and resolve your concerns. It also helps us to improve our standards.
As separately explained in our terms and conditions, if you have a complaint against WQW, please contact the director specified in our Letter of Engagement with the details. You may also address your complaint to any other director of WQW whose contact details are available through our website, www.wqw.legal. We have 8 weeks to consider your complaint. If we have not resolved it within this time you may complain to the Legal Ombudsman or seek other recourse as set out below.
What will happen next?
1. We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 3 working days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this procedure, and informing you who at WQW will be dealing with your complaint. We may also, at this stage, ask you for further clarification of the complaint in question. Alternatively, if a solution can be offered at this stage we will inform you and ask whether that solution is acceptable.
2. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to the person who acted in your matter, unless in the circumstances it is necessary for another director of WQW to do so. The person handling your complaint will review your matter file and, if appropriate, speak to the member of staff who acted for you.
3. Unless the complaint is already resolved pursuant to paragraph 1 above, we will then invite you to a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. We will do this within 14 calendar days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
4. Within 3 business days of the meeting, the person handling your complaint will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions s/he has agreed with you.
5. If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible to arrange the meeting, the person handling your complaint will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including his suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 calendar days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
6. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for another director of WQW to review the decision.
7. We will write to you within 14 calendar days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
8. If you are still not satisfied, you can then contact the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ about your complaint. Normally, you will need to bring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within 6 months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint or within 6 years of the act or omission about which you are complaining occurring (or if outside of this period, within 3 years of when you should reasonably have been aware of it). For further information, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333 (+44 121 245 3050 if calling from outside the United Kingdom) or at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.
9.If the complaint relates to our charges, you may be entitled to apply to the court for an assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974, in which case the Legal Ombudsman may not consider your complaint. If all or a part of a bill remains unpaid, we may be entitled to charge interest.
10. The Solicitors Regulation Authority may be able to help you if you are concerned about our conduct. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing client money or treating people unfairly because of their age, a disability or other characteristic. You can raise any such concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
11. Furthermore, if your complaint or claim cannot be resolved between us, there is also the possibility of mediation in accordance with the CEDR Model Mediation Procedure as set out in our Letter of Engagement.
If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.
If you have any questions regarding any aspect of this policy please telephone or e-mail your usual WQW contact.
WQW Limited, 2021