Complaints Handling Policy

Our complaints handling procedure is designed to ensure that any complaint about the service we provide is dealt with appropriately.

• If you have a complaint, please contact us with the details. You can send an email or a letter to the lawyer concerned.
• We will send you a letter or email acknowledging receipt of your complaint within three working days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
• We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to our Managing Partner, Nicholas Benson or to another partner at the firm who will review your file and speak to the member of our team who was advising you.
• If we can’t resolve your complaint by correspondence, we will then invite you to a meeting with one of our partners to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. We will aim to do this within 14 working days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
• Within five working days of the meeting, the partner who held the meeting will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions they have agreed with you.
• If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, the partner will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including their suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 working days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
• If you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for a different partner to review the decision.
• We will write to you within 14 working days of receiving your request for a review either offering to arrange a further meeting with you or informing you of our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
• If you are then still not satisfied you can contact the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 6806 Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ. Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of the date of our final written response on your complaint or within six years of the act or omission you are complaining about occurring (of if outside of this period, within the three years of when you should reasonably have been aware of it). If your complaint refers to an invoice you have an additional right to challenge the invoice by the FCA website at www.fsa.gov.uk/register/home.do.
• 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. Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
• If we have instructed a barrister on your behalf, you have a right to complain about the service provided by that barrister. If you wish to make such a complaint, please inform the lawyer advising you and we will provide you with the necessary complaint process information. You can also make a complaint about a barrister directly to the Legal Ombudsman.
• Contact details for the Managing Partner and Legal Ombudsman are below:

Managing Partner:

Nicholas Benson
Ortolan Legal Ltd
Chancery Place, 10th Floor,
50 Brown Street,
Manchester M2 2JG
020 3743 0600 or
nbenson@ortolan.com

Legal Ombudsman:

PO Box 6806 Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ
0300 555 0333 or at
enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.

If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.