Complaints Procedure
At Kearns, we are committed to delivering the highest standards of service. However, we recognise that very occasionally things can go wrong and as part of our commitment to quality we have introduced this complaints procedure to establish a process which can be followed to achieve a positive outcome for all.
If you have a complaint regarding our service, your first point of contact should be Tim Johnson, Head of Operations. Tim can be contacted by email at [email protected], in writing at Kearns Solicitors, 3 Brecon House, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly, CF83 3GQ or by telephone on 02920 853 574.
Tim will acknowledge your complaint within two working days of receipt. He will provide you with a map of options, which will establish a route towards resolving your complaint. For example, you may be offered a formal or an informal route towards resolution, depending on the nature of your complaint. If the issue relates to greater clarity of our costs, you may simply need a more detailed breakdown of your bill. On the other hand, if your complaint is about whether we have followed your instructions, you may require a more formal route in which both parties provide written evidence.
We will spell out the implications for you and we will re-assure you that you will not be charged for complaining. We shall make it clear how long it will take us to investigate your complaint and that the complaint will be resolved within 8 weeks. We shall explain what, if any, impact your complaint may have upon your claim as soon as possible.
We shall ensure that our communication with you will avoid jargon and be clear, comprehensible and neutral in tone.
Once we have conducted a thorough investigation and established all the facts required to make a decision, we shall share our findings and conclusions with you in a manner which will enable you to understand how we have reached our decision.
If we find that we have provided poor service, we shall offer you a suitable remedy along with a full explanation. If we decide that we offered a reasonable service, we will provide a full and clear explanation about how we reached that decision.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you 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.
You can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority
If we cannot agree a resolution of your complaint, we shall advise you that you have the right to refer the matter to the legal Ombudsman via www.legalombudsman.org.uk or by writing to the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH
The Ombudsman’s office can be telephoned on 0300 555 0333, from overseas on 44 121 245 3050 or for minicom call 0300 555 1777, If you need information in another language, large print, Braille or on audio CD please call 0121 245 3071 or email [email protected].
The complaint must be referred to the Ombudsman within six years from the date of the complaint arising, or three years from when you should have known about the complaint. Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first