Complaints Procedure

Tilly Bailey & Irvine LLP is committed to providing to all clients an efficient and effective service at all times. We hope that you will be pleased with the work that we do and the results we achieve. However, should there be any aspect of our service or our charges with which you are unhappy then we would like you to tell us about it so that we can work with you to resolve it.

If you have a complaint, please contact the person who is dealing with your matter, either in writing or by telephone. To help us to understand your complaint, please tell us what you think we have got wrong and what we can do to put things right for you. The person who is dealing with the matter will try to resolve your complaint straight away.

If you cannot resolve the complaint with the person dealing with your matter, or if you would prefer not to speak to that person about your complaint, then you may raise it with the Head of the Department within which your matter is being dealt with. The Head of the Department will investigate your complaint and provide you with a response. If you remain dissatisfied then you can ask for your complaint to be referred to Nigel Broadbent, who is the Partner ultimately responsible for Client Care, for a final determination.

We will endeavour to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible, and in no more than eight weeks in any event.

If, at the conclusion of our complaints process, you are not satisfied with our determination of your complaint then you can refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman (‘LeO’). Normally you will need to refer a complaint to the LeO within six months of receiving our final written response to your complaint, or within one year of the problem occurring (or, if outside this period, within one year of when you found out about it).

Who can make a complaint to the LeO?

Members of the public who are dissatisfied with their legal service provider can refer their complaint to LeO.  The LeO prefers that you approach them directly, but you can ask a friend, relative or anyone else to get in touch for you.  If you use another service provider to complain to the LeO, the service provider might charge you a fee. If you want another person to act on your behalf then you will need to inform the LeO that the person has your permission to speak to the LeO directly.

You can also refer a complaint to the LeO if you are, or represent, any of the following:

1. a business or enterprise that was a micro-enterprise when you made a complaint to us;
2. a charity with an annual income net of tax of less than £1 million when you made a complaint to us;
3. a club, association or organisation, the affairs of which are managed by its members or a committee or committees of its members, that had an annual income net of tax of less than £1 million when you made a complaint to us;
4. a trustee of a trust that had an asset value of less than £1 million when you made a complaint to us;
5. a personal representative or a beneficiary of an estate of a person who, before he/she died, had not referred a complaint to the LeO.

The LeO cannot help if you have a disagreement with another beneficiary or executor.

The contact details for the LeO are as follows:

Legal Ombudsman

PO Box 6167
Slough
SL1 0EH

Tel: 0300 5550333

E-mail: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

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.