Complaints Procedure

We want to give you the best possible service. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service we have provided, then you should inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.

In the first instance it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues at this stage. If you would like to make a formal complaint, then you can read our full complaints procedure below. Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, disability or other characteristic.

What will happen next?

  1. If you do need to make a formal complaint, please can you put the complaint in writing to our Director, Victoria Rose-Smart, either posting the letter to our Norwich Office at 46 King Street, Norwich, NR1 1PD or via email to: victoria@simperlaw.com. We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 7 days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
  1. We will then use all endeavours to investigate your complaint. Victoria Rose-Smart, will review your matter file and, if appropriate, speak to the member of staff who acted for you.
  1. Within 28 days of reviewing the matter, Victoria Rose-Smart will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including her suggestion for resolving the matter.
  1. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again in writing within 7 days and we will arrange for our Director, Kim Simper to review her decision.
  1. We will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
  1. If we are unable to resolve your complaint within eight weeks after you have brought it to our attention, then you can have the complaint independently looked at by the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints about poor service from lawyers.

The Legal Ombudsman can investigate complaints up to six years from the date of the problem happening or within three years of when you found out about the problem. If you wish to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, this must be done within six months of our final response to your complaint. The contact details for the Legal Ombudsman are as follows:

  • Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
  • Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
  • Telephone: 0300 555 0333 between 8.30am to 5.30pm
  • In writing: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ

Calls from both mobiles and landlines to 03 numbers cost no more than calls to national geographic numbers (starting 01 or 02). Calls are recorded and may be used for training and monitoring purposes. For minicom: call 03005551777

Please do not send original documents to the Legal Ombudsman. They will scan any documents you send to make computer copies and then destroy the originals.

If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why and please feel confident that we will not charge you for handling your complaint.