COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Terence Ray Solicitors will endeavour to provide the best possible service tailored to your needs. However, if at any point you are concerned or dissatisfied with our service, we would be grateful for you to accord us an opportunity to address your concerns and do our best to resolve the problem.

Procedure for bringing the complaint

Stage 1

In the first instance it may be helpful to contact the person handling your case to discuss your concerns and they will endeavour to resolve the matter. Their names and contact details can be found in the engagement letter you received when you first instructed our firm on the relevant matter. We are happy to deal with your complaint by informal discussion or in writing, at your choosing.

Stage 2

If your concerns or problems are not resolved to your satisfaction, you can make a formal complaint. The time limits for bringing a complaint to our attention are set out in the engagement letter, namely within six months of the end of the matter on which you instructed us, or within three months of you becoming aware of the circumstances giving rise to your complaint, whichever is the later.

If you wish to complain about our service after the expiry of these time limits you may still be able to make a complaint directly to the Legal Ombudsman, but we will not be obliged in those circumstances to consider your complaint under this procedure and you should contact the Legal Ombudsman to establish whether your complaint falls within the time limits of the Ombudsman’s scheme.

• Once we receive your complaint in writing, we will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within five working days. In this letter we will confirm what happens next.
• The firm’s designated Compliance Officer will investigate your complaint by reviewing the matter and speaking to the case handler who acted for you.
• If appropriate after carrying out our review of the matter, we will invite you to a meeting within twenty working days from acknowledging your complaint to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint.
• Following the meeting, our Complaints Officer shall write to you within five working days of the meeting to confirm the discussion and any agreed measures for resolving the matter.
• If you do not want to or unable to attend such a meeting (or the meeting is not necessary), we will be happy to send you a detailed, written final response, including the proposed solution to address the matter, within five working days of your declining to attend the meeting (or within twenty- five working days, if the meeting is not necessary).

What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint

If for any reason we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you can take the complaint further to the Legal Ombudsman, who will look at your complaint independently.

Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

• Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint

and

• No more than six years from the date of act/omission; or
• No more than three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

The Ombudsman has discretion to extend time limits in exceptional circumstances.

If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them using the details below.

• Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
• Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9.00 to 17.00.
• Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
• Post: Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ

What to do if you are concerned with our conduct

The Solicitors Regulation Authority, our governing and regulatory body, can help if you are concerned about our behaviour. 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. Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority