Samantha Barker is a highly driven solicitor, who is passionate about client care. She goes over and beyond to serve her clients and is meticulous in preparation of highly sensitive and serious cases. I am always fully instructed by her within childcare family proceedings and find that her case management and follow up of the proceedings, is highly professional. Ms Barker is highly motivated in obtaining the best outcome for her clients.
At Brighton & Hove Law, we are committed to providing the best possible service to our clients. However, we recognise that sometimes, they may have issues in the proceedings. In this case, we are equally as concerned in resolving problems our clients may run into. See below for more information on our complaint proceedings, or contact us directly.
Our Policy
We are committed to ensuring our clients receive the best possible service. However, we are equally committed to taking any expressions of dissatisfaction very seriously. If at any point in the proceedings, you become concerned or unhappy with the service we provide, please ensure you inform us immediately so we can do our best to swiftly resolve the problem.
Reporting and Investigation Responsibilities
Initially, we recommend contacting the solicitor working on your case to verbally discuss your concerns so we can attempt to resolve any issues at this stage. If the matter cannot be resolved informally with your solicitor, you may wish to make a formal complaint at this stage. It would assist investigations if you were to fully detail your concerns in writing so there is little room for misunderstanding your concerns and requirements. The Legal Ombudsman also recommends that you put your complaint to us in writing, clearly stating ‘Formal Complaint’ at the top of your letter and that you keep a personal copy. You should also keep copies of everything, including any re[lies you may receive from us. Please note that making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case. All complaints (written and verbal) are recorded and logged centrally to enable us to detect recurring issues. We will comply with our obligations under the GDPR Guidelines 2018 in this process.
If you are concerned about solicitor behaviour, the Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you. Please find the contact details below:
SRA, The Cube, 199 Whartside Street, Birmingham B1 1RN
Phone: 0870 606 2555
Response Times
Written complains will be acknowledged within seven days of receipt whereby the name of the person responsible for handling the complaint will be confirmed. A full reply will be sent as soon as the matter has been investigated and our proposals for dealing with your concerns have been agreed upon. We will always endeavour to provide a full response within 21 days of our acknowledgement. If this is not possible, an interim response will be given explaining why it is not possible to meet this deadline. All complaints should be given a response within eight weeks.
We do not charge for handling complaints. If a bill for work completed remains outstanding, however, we may be entitled to charge interest on that amount as explained in our terms of business.
Unresolved Issues
If for any reason we are unable to resolve any issue between us, you may be entitled to complain to the Legal Ombudsman for independent review.
The Ombudsman will usually expect you to allow us eight weeks to resolve the manner. You must take your complaint to the Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final response from us regarding your complaint. Equally, your complaint must be brought to the Ombudsman within no more than six years from the date of the initial problem.
For more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please see the contact information below:
PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Phone: 0300 555 0333
Or visit the Ombudsman website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Contact us:
Phone: 01273 205805
Email: advice@brightonandhovelaw.co.uk
