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Client feedback and complaints
We are committed to providing a quality service to our clients. We value feedback from clients greatly because it helps us to continually improve our service. If you do not feel that you are receiving excellent client service or that something could be improved, please do tell us about it. If we have fallen short of the high standards which we have set for ourselves then we would like the opportunity to put it right.
What do I do if I have feedback or a complaint?
At first it would be helpful if you could discuss any feedback or concerns which you have about our service or how it might be improved with the lawyer dealing with your matter. If the lawyer dealing cannot resolve your concern informally, or if the issue is of such a serious nature that you do not feel comfortable raising it with your lawyer, then you may discuss this with Emily Littlehales as a complaint under this policy.
How do I raise a complaint under this policy?
It would help us if you could email emily@celtic-law.co.uk with:
• why you feel dissatisfied with the service which you have received;
• how you would prefer to be contacted about your complaint;
• if there is anything in particular which you would like us to do to resolve your complaint.
If you would prefer not to email details of your complaint in this way then please call Emily Littlehales to discuss the best way to get an understanding of your concerns.
What happens after I have made a complaint under this policy?
Emily Littlehales will:
• send an acknowledgement of your complaint within 7 days of receiving it;
• log your complaint on our central complaints register;
• investigate the concerns and arrange a discussion with you to try to agree how to resolve the issues within 21 days of receiving your complaint;
• write to you within 28 days of receiving your complaint to confirm the outcome of this.
In exceptional circumstances it may be necessary to extend these timescales but we will try to agree any variations with you first.
What might the outcome of my complaint be?
We very much regret any dissatisfaction which our clients experience and will not hesitate to apologise to you where our service has fallen below our high standards. We may also agree that certain steps will be taken to improve your situation and to ensure that any problems experienced will not reoccur.
What if I remain unsatisfied?
You can ask for the outcome of your complaint to be reviewed with you if you remain unsatisfied. It would again be helpful to know at this stage if there is anything further specifically which we could do to resolve your concerns satisfactorily. Emily Littlehales may then uphold the outcome or review it and replace it with alternative suggestions on how your complaint can be resolved. This would be our final decision on how we can resolve your concerns. You will receive the outcome of the managing partner review of the outcome of your complaints within 8 weeks of raising your complaint with us at the latest.
If you remain dissatisfied at that stage, you may be entitled to complain to the Legal Ombudsman about our service (the Ombudsman would generally expect clients to follow a firm’s internal complaints procedure first). The Legal Ombudsman will independently assess your complaint and it will not affect how we handle your case with us. You can find further information about the Ombudsman on the website www.legalombudsman.org.uk. You can write to the Ombudsman at Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ or by email on enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk or call on 0300 555 0333. You must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final response from us. From 1 April 2023 the Legal Ombudsman also expects complaints to be made to them within 1 year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned (prior to 1 April 2023:6 years) or within 1 year of you realising there was a concern (prior to 1 April 2023:3 years). The requirement to refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response remains the same.
What if you are not happy 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.
Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Our regulator publishes a great deal of guidance on their site about the rules which we as solicitors must comply with. You can access their handbook here SRA | Code of Conduct for Firms | Solicitors Regulation Authority and this sets out the Code of Conduct for Firms.
Other Information:
Each client is presented with our Terms of Business and Client Care Agreement. This sets out our working relationship. Our working relationship is tailored to each client, though if you would like a sample please ask us.
Celtic Law Ltd is also fully insured in accordance with the SRA’s rules. Our insurer will change from time to time and the insurer’s details will be contained in our Terms of Business and Client Care Agreement if ever you need to refer to it. Further information can be available upon request.