Complaints Handling Procedure


  1. Our complaints policy

    1. We are committed to providing a high quality legal service to all our clients. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards.
  2. Our complaints procedure

    1. If you have a complaint about our service or a bill that we have rendered or both, please contact us with the details. You must bring your complaint within 3 months of the issue being complained of. We aim to resolve complaints within 8 weeks of you raising a formal complaint.
    2. The person to contact is our Senior Partner, Jason Poole and he can be reached at:

      JG Poole & Co LLP
      E-space South
      26 St Thomas Place
      Ely
      Cambs
      CB7 4EX

      jason.poole@jgpoole.co.uk

      DD: 01353 644031

    3. What will happen next?
      1. We will send you a letter or email acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 7 days of us receiving the complaint.
      2. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to one of our senior lawyers who will review your file and speak to the member of staff who acted for you.
      3. We will then invite you to a meeting or telephone call to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. This will be done within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter/email.
      4. Within 3 weeks of the meeting/telephone call, we will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions we have agreed with you.
      5. If you do not want a meeting or telephone call or it is not possible, we will send you a written reply to your complaint, including our suggestions for resolving the matter, within 6 weeks of receiving your formal complaint.
      6. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for another member of our team to review the decision.
      7. We will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
      8. If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.
      9. If you are still not satisfied, you can then contact the Legal Ombudsman. Please note that the Legal Ombudsman has indicated that “a service provider is entitled to 8 weeks to address your complaint and try to resolve the matter with you before [the Legal Ombudsman] get[s] involved.”
    4. The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case.
    5. 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.
    6. If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them.

      Contact details:
      Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
      Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm.
      Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
      Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ