Complaints Policy
Complaint Handling Policy
We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. We acknowledge that we may not always get it right, so if something has gone wrong, including in relation to our charges, we need you to tell us. This will help us to improve our standards of service.
How do I make a complaint?
You can contact us in writing (by letter or email) or by telephone.
In the first instance, it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues. If this does not resolve matters, you can raise this with the Client Care Manager of the firm, who is Shane Hensman. You can write to him at Cordus Law Ltd, 8 Flemming Court, Whistler Drive, Castleford, WF10 5HW.
or email shane.hensman@corduslaw.co.uk or call 01977 602804.
To help us to understand your complaint, and in order that we do not miss anything, please tell us
- your full name and contact details;
- the name of the person handling your case
- what you think we have got wrong;
- how you would like your complaint to be resolved; and
- your file reference number (if you have it).
What will happen next?
- The Client Care Manager will contact you either in writing, e-mail or telephone to acknowledge your concerns within 5 working days of initial contact.
- Following an initial acknowledgement, we will write to you within 5 days of our initial acknowledgment to summarise our understanding of your concerns. These two steps may be combined in that you may receive an acknowledgement which also sets out the understanding of your complaint. You may be asked to provide any further comments, or further information, and you will be asked to confirm that our understanding is correct. You will also be asked how you would like to resolve your complaint. If you do not confirm that the understanding is correct within 7 days, it will be assumed that the summary is correct, and the Client Care Manager will move to the next stage.
- Your file will then be reviewed within 21 days of receipt of any further information required from you or confirmation that our understanding is correct. The review may include a discussion between the Client Care Manager and the person who has had conduct of your file.
- You will then be sent a letter setting out our findings in relation to your complaint and making any proposal for resolution, within 7 working days of completing the review. You will be asked to provide any further comments and to consider any resolution that is being proposed.
- If you provide any further comments in response to our findings, these will be addressed within 7 working days of receipt of those further comments.
NB These time limits are a guide only and may be exceeded:
- in exceptional circumstances
- because of the work involved in addressing the matters you raise
- because of the absence of the lawyer or a similar event.
- If timescales have to change you will be notified in writing
What will it cost?
There will be no charge to you handling your complaint. If you have a bill that is outstanding with the firm, making a complaint will not have any effect on that. The firm may still be pursuing it in accordance with their recovery procedure and interest may be charged in line with the Terms of Business.
What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint?
We have 8 weeks within which to deal with your complaint. If we doWe have 8 weeks within which to deal with your complaint. If we do not deal with it within this timeframe or if you still remain unhappy, you can raise your concerns with The Legal Ombudsman whose contact details are as follows:
Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Post: Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH
Referrals must be made to The Legal Ombudsman within 6 months of the date of the letter confirming the investigation has come to an end.
In any event you must raise any formal complaint within 1 year of the incident giving rise to the complaint or within 1 year of you realising there was a concern.
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) bodies exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and our firm wish to use such a scheme, e.g. Ombudsman Services, ProMediate or Small Claims Mediation. We have, however, chosen not to adopt an ADR process. If, therefore, you wish to complain further, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman-details set out above.
Bethany Hinchcliffe
What to do if you are unhappy with our behaviour?
The Solicitors Regulation Authority 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. For further information about them please see;
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Data protection complaints
If your concern relates to how we have handled your personal data you can use the same complaints process set out above. The same timescales apply. Under data protection law we are also required to acknowledge receipt of a data protection complaint within 30 days, keep you informed of progress, and tell you the outcome. We believe that our standard process already meets those requirements.
Personal data complaints might include concerns about:
- how we have used or shared information about you
- how we have responded to a request to access, correct or delete your data
- any other aspect of how we have handled information relating to you
If we cannot resolve your complaint — data protection complaints
If you remain unhappy with our response to a data protection complaint, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. The ICO is the UK’s independent regulator for data protection and will consider your complaint independently of us.
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
You can also seek a remedy through the courts if you consider that your data protection rights have been infringed, though in most cases raising the matter with the ICO first is the more practical route.
