Complaints

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

You can raise any queries you may have with the person who’s doing the work for you, or with our dedicated Client Services team via client review calls or by email to clientservices@harperjames.co.uk. You are also encouraged to share any feedback and concerns via our regular client feedback programme. We appreciate and take feedback seriously.

How do I make a formal complaint?

If we are unable to resolve an issue and you wish to make a formal complaint, you can contact Sarah Gunton, Chief Quality & Compliance Officer, 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.

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;
• what you think we have got wrong;
• what you hope to achieve as a result of your complaint; and
• your file reference number (if you have it).

If you require any help in making your complaint, please let us know so that we can try to assist.

How will you deal with my complaint?

We will record your complaint centrally.

We will write to you within three working days acknowledging your complaint, enclosing a copy of this policy.

We will investigate your complaint. This will usually involve:

• reviewing your complaint;
• reviewing your file(s) and other relevant documents; and
• speaking with the person who dealt with your matter.

We may also need to ask you for further information or documents. If so, we will ask you to provide the information within a specific period of time.

We will update you on the progress of your complaint at appropriate times.

We may also, if appropriate, invite you to a meeting (either face to face or by video call) to discuss your complaint. You do not have to attend if you do not wish to or if you are unable to do so. We will be happy to discuss the matter with you on the telephone.

Sarah Gunton will write to you at the end of our investigation to tell you what we have done and what we propose to do to resolve your complaint. Where possible, we will aim to do this within 21 days of the date of our letter of acknowledgement. Sarah will also provide you with the contact details of our Chief Legal Officer.

What if I am not satisfied with the outcome?

If you are unhappy with the outcome of the review by Sarah Gunton, please contact our Chief Legal Officer within 10 days of receiving Sarah’s response using the details provided by Sarah. The Chief Legal Officer will then review the decision and write to you within 21 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.Should you still be unhappy with the outcome and provided you have followed the steps above to register your complaint with us, you can ask the Legal Ombudsman to look into your complaint. Please note that the Ombudsman can only consider complaints about the service received from the complainant’s provider of legal services. 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.

For more information on how the Legal Ombudsman works, please visit the website at www.legalombudsman.org.uk. Alternative complaints bodies (such as Pro-Mediate UK Limited - www.promediate.co.uk) exist 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 alternative dispute resolution 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 behaviour, 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 a 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.