Complaints Procedure
Complaints
We always aim to provide our clients with an excellent experience but we do appreciate that sometimes things can go wrong. If that happens we need to know so we can address any issues and learn from them. At Hepburn Delaney we operate a comprehensive complaints procedure so that we ensure your complaint is dealt with fairly and effectively.
Procedure
If you need to make a complaint then we request that it is submitted to us in writing.
If you are a mediation client, please follow this procedure here.
In the first instance, please direct your complaint to the advisor who has day to day conduct of your matter and they will pass your complaint on to their direct supervisor for review. If you do not feel comfortable raising the complaint with your advisor then please direct it to Sumaiya Smyth.
Sumaiya can be contacted at Sumaiya.smyth@hepburndelaney.co.uk, or you can write to her at Hepburn Delaney, 7 The Progression Centre, Mark Road, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 7DW.
We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 2 working days and advise who will be investigating the matter for you.
We will provide you with a date by which we will provide a full response to your complaint. The time it will take to provide the response may depend to some extent on the nature of the complaint and the complexity of the matter and we will therefore agree a deadline with you. In most cases however we will aim to provide a written response within 28 days of acknowledging your complaint.
We will review your file and discuss matters with the advisor who acted for you. We may need to also discuss matters with you directly to obtain additional information and fully understand your concerns.
We will undertake a thorough investigation and report our findings to you within the agreed timescale. Where appropriate, and if possible, we will also suggest a remedy.
We hope that you will be satisfied with our findings and any proposed resolution but if you are not you may refer the matter to our Managing Partner Mrs Rebecca Delaney who will arrange a further independent review.
Rebecca can be contacted at Rebecca.Delaney@hepburndelaney.co.uk, or you can write to her at Hepburn Delaney, 7 The Progression Centre, Mark Road, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 7DW.
Once we have fully investigated your complaint we will provide our final decision in writing and explain the reasons for the decision.
A digital copy of our procedure is available here
What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint
If we are unable to resolve your complaint within 8 weeks of receiving full details then you may have the right to refer it to the Legal Ombudsman. The time limit for referring your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman is no later than one year from the act or omission being complained about, or no later than one year from the date when you should have reasonably realised that there was cause for complaint. However, you should refer your complaint within 6 months of our final decision.
Contact details for the Legal Ombudsman are as follows:
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6806
Wolverhampton
WV1 9WJ
Tel: 0300 555 0333
