Our Complaints Procedure

Our Complaints Policy

We are committed to providing a high quality legal service to all our clients.  When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it.  This will help us to improve our standards.

Our Complaints Procedure

The person with overall responsibility for complaints in Andrew Crossley.

If you have a complaint that you have been unable to resolve with the person handling your matter please contact Andrew Crossley, our complaints partner by post to Sternberg Reed, Focal House, 12-18 Station Parade, Barking IG11 8DN or by email to andrew.crossley@sternberg-reed.co.uk.  You will appreciate by setting out your concerns in writing you will be making it far easier to investigate the matter without overlooking key points.

What will happen next?

1. We will send you an acknowledgement letter or email, as appropriate, within five days of receipt of your complaint, enclosing a copy of this complaint’s procedure.

2. We will investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to the partner responsible for the department concerned, who will review your matter and discuss your concerns with the person dealing with your case.  A partner will then report to Andrew Crossley.

3. The complaints partner, Andrew Crossley, will send you a detailed written response by no later than eight weeks from receiving your complaint.

4. If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint you can contact the Legal Ombudsman, an independent complaints body established under the Legal Services Act, who can investigate complaints about the legal service which you have received from us. The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within one year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within one year of your realising there was a concern.  You must also refer tour concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you.

5. The Legal Ombudsman’s contact details are: –

•           www.legalombudsman.org.uk
•           Telephone number: 0300 555 0333 between 10.00 am and 4.00 pm
•           Relay UK: 18001 0300 555 0333
•           Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
•           Postal address:  Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6157, Slough SL1 0EH

6. There are also alternative bodies (such as Promediate – www.promediate.co.uk) which exist and are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and this firm wish to use such as scheme. I confirm that this firm would agree to use Promediate.