Complaints Handling Procedure

If you have a concern or complaint, please contact us as soon as you are aware of the problem so this can be addressed.

Please email or write to

Mrs Melanie Valentine,
melanie.valentine@elselaw.co.uk,
Else Solicitors LLP,
First Avenue,
Centrum 100,
Burton on Trent,
Staffordshire DE14 2WE.

What will happen next?

  1. We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 5 days of you raising your concerns, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
  2. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to our client care partner Mr Chris Else who will review your matter file and speak to the member of staff who acted for you.
  3. Mr Else will then invite you to a meeting, or discuss the matter over the telephone; it is hoped to resolve your complaint. He will do this within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
  4. Within 3 days of the meeting/telephone call, Mr Else will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions he has agreed with you.
  5. If you do not want a meeting or one is not possible, Mr Else will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint including his suggestions for the resolution of the matter, within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgment letter.
  6. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again to explain why you remain unhappy with our response and we will review your comments. Depending on the matter we may at this stage arrange for another partner to review the decision.
  7. We will write to you within 7 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
  8. We have 8 weeks to consider and deal with your complaint.  If we have not resolved your complaint within this time frame you can contact the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH, enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk or call 0300 555 0333. Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made:
  • Within 6 months of you receiving a final written response from us regarding your complaint.
  • No more than 1 year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or
  • No more than 1 year from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint.

The Legal Ombudsman has provided further guidance on its service at www.legalombudsman.org.uk .

Please note: if we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.

The Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) 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. Their contact details are The Solicitors Regulatory Authority, The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN, Tel 0370 606 2555, email report@sra.org.uk .  Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority www.sra.org.uk .

How can we help?

Get in touch.

For more detailed legal advice that could benefit your business, please contact our team on 01283 526200. Alternatively, you can send us a message and we will get in touch at a time that suits you.