Complaints Procedure

We want to give you the best possible service. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service we have provided, then you should inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.

In the first instance it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues at this stage. If you would like to make a formal complaint, then you can read our full complaints procedure below. Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority 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, disability or other characteristic.

What will happen next?

  1. If you do need to make a formal complaint, please can you put the complaint in writing to our Director, Victoria Rose-Smart, either posting the letter to our Norwich Office at 46 King Street, Norwich, NR1 1PD or via email to: victoria@simperlaw.com. We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 7 days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
  1. We will then use all endeavours to investigate your complaint. Victoria Rose-Smart, will review your matter file and, if appropriate, speak to the member of staff who acted for you.
  1. Within 28 days of reviewing the matter, Victoria Rose-Smart will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including her suggestion for resolving the matter.
  1. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again in writing within 7 days and we will arrange for our Director, Kim Simper to review her decision.
  1. 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.
  1. If we have not resolved your complaint within eight weeks or you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may be able to complain to the Legal Ombudsman. However the Legal Ombudsman is only obliged to deal with your complaint if you are an individual, a business with fewer than 10 employees and turnover or assets not exceeding a certain threshold, a charity or trust with a net income of less than £1m, or if you fall within certain other categories.

In addition, you should be aware that the Legal Ombudsman will be unlikely to accept your complaint if:

  • more than one year has elapsed from the date of the act or omission giving rise to the complaint; or
  • more than one year has elapsed from the time when you should have known about the complaint.

You can find out more from the Legal Ombudsman. Contact details are as follows:

Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6806
Wolverhampton
WV1 9WJ
Email:      enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Tel:           0300 555 0333

Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of the date of our final written response to your complaint but for further information, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman.

Please do not send original documents to the Legal Ombudsman. They will scan any documents you send to make computer copies and then destroy the originals.

If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why and please feel confident that we will not charge you for handling your complaint.