Howell Griffiths Solicitors are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients.

When something goes wrong, we need to know about it and deal with it promptly and efficiently to help us check the quality of our service, improve our standards and maintain our outstanding reputation.

If you have a complaint

Please get in touch with the person handling your matter. Their details will be on your original engagement letter. We are happy to deal with your complaint by phone in the first instance or by letter or email, as you prefer. Please contact our Managing Director Jennifer Howell if you wish to address your concern with someone in addition to the person handling your matter.

Our complaints procedure is summarized in our Client Care Letter and set out in full in our Terms of Business. A copy of our current Terms of Business can be viewed on our Terms of Business page. Alternatively, you may request a copy of the Terms of Business from the person working on your case or our Client Care Team.

What happens next?

• If the matter cannot be resolved after a conversation or initial correspondence, a letter will be sent to the client acknowledging the complaint and enclosing a complaint form. The complaint can be escalated by completing this form and sending it to our Managing Director Jennifer Howell.

• Upon receipt of this form from the client, the complaint will be investigated. This will typically involve passing the complaint to our client care partner, who will review the matter file and speak to the member of staff who acted.

• A detailed written reply to the complaint will then be sent to the client, including suggestions for resolving the matter within 21 days of receiving the complaint form.

• If the client remains dissatisfied with this, our Managing Director Jennifer Howell, will arrange for a review of the decision, work with them to identify their continuing concerns.

• Howell Griffiths Solicitors will write to the client within 14 days of receiving any request for a review, confirming the final position of the complaint together with an explanation.

What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint

The Legal Ombudsman can help if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case.

Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

• Within six months of the date of our final response to your complaint

And

• Within six years from the date of the problem that caused your complaint; or
• Within three years from the date when you should have reasonably known about the problem (if it occurred more than six years previously).

Should you have an issue with our fees, you may have the right to apply for an assessment under Part III of The Solicitors Act 1974. Do note that the Legal Ombudsman may not investigate a complaint about our fees where you have already made a request to the court for an assessment.

Contacts

Managing Director Jennifer Howell at Winnington Hall, Winnington, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 4DU

01606 212 291 or email at jennifer@howellgriffiths.co.uk

Legal Ombudsman: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ

0300 555 0333 or email at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk