Complaints policy

Paddle & Cocks LLP Complaints Procedure

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to our clients. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to sort out any mistakes or misunderstandings, and to improve our standards.

Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.

If you have a complaint, please raise the problem with the lawyer responsible for your matter, in the first instance. If you are unable to resolve it with them, and wish to make a formal complaint then you may escalate it to the partner responsible for that department or, if you prefer, our complaints partner, Verona Cocks, contactable at verona.cocks@paddleandcocks.co.uk, or on 01872 672072.

Our complaints procedure is as follows:

1. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within three days of receiving it.
2. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve our complaints partner reviewing your file and speaking to the member of staff who acted for you.
3. Within 14 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter our complaints partner will invite you to discuss the matter by telephone in order to try resolve your complaint.
4. Within three days of the telephone conversation we have with you our complaints partner will write to you to confirm what was discussed and any solutions we have agreed
5. In any case she will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including her suggestions for resolving the matter, within 21 days of sending you the written acknowledgement of your complaint referred to in paragraph 1 above.
6. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will 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 these timescales we will let you know and explain why.

What To Do If We Cannot Resolve Your Complaint

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.

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 can take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. Please note that the time limits for referring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman will be no later than

• One year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or

• One year from the date when the complainant should have realised that there was cause for complaint.

The Legal Ombudsman will have discretion to accept out of time complaints in circumstances where it deems it “fair and reasonable to do so”.

You must bring your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of the date of the final complaint response from us.

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 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH

Note that the Legal Ombudsman service cannot be used by businesses or most other organisations unless they are below certain size limits. Further details are available from the Legal Ombudsman.

If a complaint cannot be resolved you may also be able to ask for it to be referred to a process of alternative dispute resolution using a certified provider. We are not required to agree to such a request. In any case this is not available to businesses, only consumers. We will give you more information about that right if it becomes relevant.

Solicitors Regulation Authority

The Solicitors Regulation Authority, (SRA), can help you 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. 

SRA Address :The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN. The firms VAT registration no. is 292 2817 86. 

Telephone number:0370 606 2555  and Email address for the SRA: contactcentre@sra.org.uk12.



You can raise your concerns with the SRA at: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor.page