Complaints Procedure
Gurve Legal Solicitors is committed to providing a high standard of service. If you are dissatisfied with our service or have concerns about our charges, please raise the matter with us so that we have an opportunity to resolve it.
Making a complaint will not affect how we deal with your matter. Complaints will be dealt with promptly, fairly and free of charge.
Making A Complaint
In the first instance, we encourage you to raise any concerns with the solicitor or other person dealing with your matter, as it may be possible to resolve the issue promptly.
If your concern cannot be resolved in this way, or if you wish to make a formal complaint, please contact:
Complaints Officer
Gurve Legal Solicitors
First Floor, Building 3
Chiswick Business Park
London W4 5YA
Email: info@gurvelegal.com
Please provide sufficient information for us to understand the nature of your complaint, the matter to which it relates and, where appropriate, the outcome you are seeking.
How We Deal With Complaints
We will acknowledge your complaint and arrange for it to be reviewed appropriately.
We will consider the circumstances of the complaint and the relevant information and documentation submitted by you.
Please describe the issues you wish to raise as clearly as possible and provide any relevant information or documents which you would like us to consider. We may contact you for further information or clarification where reasonably required.
Where appropriate, we will first consider whether the complaint can be resolved promptly without the need for a more detailed investigation. If further investigation is required, we will review the relevant circumstances before reaching our conclusions.
We will provide you with a written response setting out our position once our review has been completed.
We will aim to resolve complaints as soon as reasonably practicable and will keep you informed if further time is required.
If we have not resolved your complaint to your satisfaction within eight weeks of receiving it, or if we have issued our final response and you remain dissatisfied, you may be entitled to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.
Complaints about Fees or Invoices
Our complaints procedure also applies to concerns about our fees or invoices.
Making a complaint does not automatically suspend your payment obligations under our Terms of Business. This does not affect any statutory rights you may have in relation to our charges.
Respectful Communication and Unacceptable Behaviour
We recognise clients and complainants may sometimes be dissatisfied, frustrated or strongly disagree with our advice, service, charges or decisions. Making a complaint, challenging an invoice, disagreeing with our advice or pursuing a complaint with the Legal Ombudsman will not, of itself, be treated as unacceptable behaviour.
We are equally committed to providing a safe and respectful working environment for our solicitors, staff and other members of our team. We therefore do not accept abusive, threatening, discriminatory, harassing or seriously inappropriate behaviour towards our staff.
We may also take proportionate action where communications become persistently excessive, repetitive or unreasonable to the extent that they materially interfere with our ability to deal with the complaint, provide legal services or protect the wellbeing of our staff.
Depending upon the circumstances, we may:
– ask that communications are directed through a nominated member of the firm;
– require communications to be made in writing or through a particular communication channel;
– limit the frequency or method of communications where reasonably necessary;
– end telephone calls where abusive or threatening behaviour continues;
– decline to respond repeatedly to matters which have already been substantively addressed, unless new and relevant information is provided; and
– where there is good reason and we are legally and professionally entitled to do so, suspend work or terminate our retainer in accordance with our Terms of Business and professional obligations.
Any restrictions will be considered proportionately having regard to the circumstances, including any reasonable adjustments which may be required.
Threats or threatening behaviour, intimidation of any sort, bullying, harassment, discriminatory conduct or other potentially unlawful behaviour may, where appropriate, be reported to the police, regulators or other relevant authorities, and we reserve our legal rights in relation to unlawful conduct.
Nothing in this section restricts your right to make a genuine complaint to us, challenge our charges, disagree with our advice or, where eligible, refer a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.
Legal Ombudsman
The Legal Ombudsman is independent and deals with complaints about legal services, including complaints concerning the service provided and legal charges.
Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will normally expect you to have first given us an opportunity to resolve the complaint through our complaints procedure.
Ordinarily, a complaint must be referred to the Legal Ombudsman:
within six months of receiving our final response; and
no more than one year from the date of the act or omission complained about, or no more than one year from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
The Legal Ombudsman may exercise discretion in relation to these time limits in certain circumstances.
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6167
Slough
SL1 0EH
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Eligibility to use the Legal Ombudsman service is determined in accordance with its applicable Scheme Rules.
Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Legal Ombudsman deals principally with complaints about service and charges. The Solicitors Regulation Authority regulates solicitors and law firms in England and Wales.
If your concern relates to our professional conduct or a potential breach of the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s regulatory requirements, information about when and how concerns may be reported to the SRA is available at:
www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor
Regulatory Information
Gurve Legal Solicitors is a trading name of Gurve Legal Limited, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
SRA Number: 8004870