Cleveland & Co | External in-house counsel®

Complaints Procedure

PUTTING CLIENTS FIRST

We take our obligations towards our clients very seriously and strive to provide the best service we can. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it as it will help us to improve our standards.

WHO SHOULD I COMPLAIN TO?

If you are unhappy with any aspect of the service you have received from Cleveland & Co, please contact either the lawyer dealing with your matter or your usual contact at Cleveland & Co. We are happy to deal with your complaint by informal discussion or in writing, whichever you prefer.

WHAT WILL WE DO?

If you do not feel satisfied with the response provided to you, please then contact our Operations Team at: operations@cleveland-co.com to initiate our clients’ complaints procedure (please see below). Please provide full written details of your concerns with the service so that we are able to assess your complaint.

CLIENTS’ COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

The following process is applicable to clients engaged in the UK:

  1. We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint and providing the details of the named Complaints Handler within 2 working days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this complaints handling procedure.
  2. Log your complaint in our central complaints register.
  3. The Complaints Handler will then investigate your complaint, which may involve speaking with you to confirm your heads of complaints, speaking to staff that acted for you and reviewing the matter file.
  4. The Complaints Handler will send a detailed written reply to you with their findings, usually within 28 days of agreeing the heads of complaints with you.
  5. In exceptional circumstances it may be necessary to extend these timescales due to sickness or absences, but we will always try to agree a variation with you first.

We have eight weeks to try and resolve your complaint. If you are still not satisfied with our final position as set out in the procedure above, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman about your complaint. Normally, you will need to bring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within 6 months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint; and (a) no more than 1 year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or (b) no more than 1 year from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint.

For detailed information on who may use the service, its procedures and the time periods for involving the Legal Ombudsman, please refer to: The Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH Tel: 0300 555 0333 enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk www.legalombudsman.org.uk.

Additionally, the Solicitors Regulation Authority can help if you are concerned about the behaviour of any of our team members. For example, if you suspect certain acts or omissions have been carried out by a member of staff relating to dishonesty, taking or losing your money, or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or any other characteristic. Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

If you have any concerns over a bill which you have received from us, you also (subject to time limits) have the right to apply to the Court for assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974.