Complaints

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service and to dealing with all of our clients fairly and professionally. We acknowledge that we may not always get it right, and that misunderstandings can arise. If something has gone wrong or we are not meeting your expectations, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can do our best to address your concern.

In the first instance, you should raise any issues you have:

• with the lawyer who is doing the work for you; or
• with your account manager; or
• by email to clientservices@harperjames.co.uk.

We will listen to your concerns and do our best to resolve them at this stage.

How do I make a complaint?

If we have been unable to resolve your issue(s) and you wish to make a complaint, you can do so by contacting our Compliance team in writing by email to compliance@harperjames.co.uk, or by post to Harper James, Floor 5, Cavendish House, 39-41 Waterloo Street, Birmingham B2 5PP.  Our Compliance team will review your complaint and allocate it to the most appropriate person to investigate and respond. 

To help us to understand your complaint, and in order that we do not miss anything, please tell us:

• your full name and contact details;
• your file reference number (if you have it); and
• in your own words:
  • what you think we have got wrong; and
  • what outcome you hope to achieve as a result

How will you deal with my complaint?

• We will record your complaint centrally.
• We will write to you within 4 working days to acknowledge your complaint and advise you who will be dealing with your complaint.
• We may need to ask you for further information, documents, or clarification.  If so, we will ask you to provide the information within a specific period of time. 
• We will investigate your complaint, which will usually involve:
  • reviewing your complaint;
  • reviewing your file(s) and other relevant documents;
  • speaking with the person(s) who dealt with your matter; and
  • If appropriate and with your agreement, speaking with you to discuss your complaint.
• We aim to provide a written response within 6 weeks of our acknowledgement of your complaint.  If this is not possible, we will write to you explaining our reasons.
• Our Quality & Compliance Director, Sarah Gunton, has oversight of all complaints and will review the response before it is sent to you. Accordingly our written response is our final decision in relation to your complaint.

If you are unhappy with our response to your complaint, you can ask the Legal Ombudsman to look into your complaint.  You can contact the Legal Ombudsman:

• by post at PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH;
• by telephone: 0300 555 0333; or
• by email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.

The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made within a year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned, or within a year of you realising that there is a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you.  Further details are available on the website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk.

There are alternative complaints bodies (such as Pro-Mediate UK Limited - www.promediate.co.uk) which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and we wish to use such a scheme. We have, however, chosen not to adopt an ADR process. If, therefore, you wish to complain further, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman.

Harper James Limited is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA); its SRA ID number is 612099. If you have any concerns about our conduct, please visit the SRA website for more information.

What will it cost?

We will not charge you for handling your complaint.

Please note that if we have issued a bill for work done on the matter, and all or some of the bill is not paid, we may be entitled to charge interest on the amount outstanding.

The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.