COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
We want to give you the best possible service. However, if you become unhappy or concerned about the service we have provided, then please inform us immediately so that we can do our best to resolve the problem for you.
You can register the complaint with your lawyer, or with our Compliance Officer. You can write to them at:
2 Manor yard
New Union Street
Coventry
CV1 2PF
or email compliance@wardrider.co.uk
In the first instance, we’d prefer if you write to us with full details of your complaint so that we have a good understanding of the issues being highlighted. Our Compliance Officer is responsible for ensuring that complaints are handled effectively and in accordance with our complaints procedure. This procedure will also apply to prospective clients who we have refused to provide a service to but only if there is evidence to show that we did not have reasonable grounds to do so.
COMPLAINTS PROCESS
Stage One
This stage will be dealt with informally, and you will receive an acknowledgement of your complaint within three working days. This may be by phone, email or letter.
The Compliance Officer will make a record of your complaint and begin their investigation.
We will inform you of our initial findings as soon as possible. This will usually be within 14 days from when we acknowledge your complaint.
If we are unable to meet the timescales as above, then we will inform you of this at the earliest opportunity and give you a new timescale.
If you are unhappy with the response and do not accept the outcome of this stage, your complaint will progress to Stage Two.
Stage Two
We will seek clarification and confirmation of our understanding of your complaint.
The Compliance Officer will report their findings from the Stage One investigation to the employee concerned and the appropriate Director. This will include the full details of any findings, any remedy that may have been proposed and your response to the outcome of Stage One.
This stage may involve a meeting (in person or by phone) to discuss the complaint further.
You will receive a full and final response from us within 14 days of us confirming our understanding of your complaint. This is the final stage in our internal complaints procedure.
Legal Ombudsman
If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaints process or the way we have handled your complaint you can ask the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) to consider it.
The Legal Ombudsman can investigate complaints up to 12 months from the date of the problem happening or when you found out about the problem. If you wish to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman this should be done within six months of our final response.
Alternative complaint bodies (such as the Ombudsman Services) exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and our firm want to use such a scheme. However, we don’t currently agree to use this Alternative Dispute Resolution service in view of the availability of the independent Legal Ombudsman Service established under the Legal Services Act 2007. We are bound by our Regulatory Code to comply with the Legal Ombudsman.
Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ
0300 555 0333 (between 8.30am to 5.30pm)
www.legalombudsman.org.uk
