This is our client complaints policy. This is the policy we will follow if you are a client of TLT. If you are a customer of one of our lender clients, please follow the link to our Customer complaint handling procedure.

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service.

We acknowledge that we may not always get it right so if something has gone wrong, including in relation to the bill, we need you to tell us.

How do I make a complaint?

You can contact us in writing (by letter or email) or by speaking with our complaints manager whose contact details are: Alison Dell, alison.dell@tltsolicitors.com

To help us to understand your complaint, and in order that we do not miss anything, please tell us:

• your full name and contact details
• what you think we have got wrong
• what you hope to achieve as a result of your complaint, and
• your file reference number (if you have it)

If you require any help in making your complaint we will try to assist.

How will you deal with my complaint?

We will record your complaint centrally.

We will write to you within two working days acknowledging your complaint and enclosing a copy of this policy.

We will investigate your complaint. This will usually involve:

• reviewing your complaint
• reviewing your file(s) and other relevant documents, and
• speaking with the person who dealt with your matter

We may also need to ask you for further information or documents. If so, we will ask you to provide the information within a specific period of time.

We will update you on the progress of your complaint at appropriate times.

We may also, if appropriate, invite you to a meeting to discuss your complaint. You do not have to attend if you do not wish to or if you are unable to do so. We will be happy to discuss the matter with you on the telephone.

We will write to you at the end of our investigation to tell you what we have done and what we propose to do to resolve your complaint. Where possible, we will aim to do this within 28 days of the date of our letter of acknowledgement.

What if I am not satisfied with the outcome?

If you are still unhappy you can ask the Legal Ombudsman to look into your complaint. This applies if you are an individual, a business with fewer than 10 employees and turnover or assets not exceeding a certain threshold, a charity or trust with a net income of less than £1m, or if you fall within certain other categories (you can find out more from the Legal Ombudsman—www.legalombudsman.org.uk). The Legal Ombudsman will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your matter.

You can contact the Legal Ombudsman:

PO Box 6806  Wolverhampton  WV1 9WJ

Telephone: 0300 555 0333, or

Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, you must refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

• within six months of our final written response to your complaint; and
• within six years of the act or omission about which you are complaining occurring; or
• within three years of you becoming aware of it.  

However, please note that from 1 April 2023, these time limits are changing. From 1 April, the Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them:

• Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint; and
• no more than one year from the date of the act/omission you are concerned about; or
• no more than one year from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

Further details are available on the website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk.

Alternative complaints bodies (such as Ombudsman Services https://ombudsmanservices.org/) exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and our firm wish to use such a scheme. We have, however, chosen not to adopt an ADR process. If, therefore, you wish to complain further, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman.

If you have concerns about our behaviour then you can lodge a complaint with our regulator, the Solicitors Regulation Authority http://www.sra.org.uk

What will it cost?

We will not charge you for handling your complaint.

Please note that if we have issued a bill for work done on the matter, and all or some of the bill is not paid, we may be entitled to charge interest on the amount outstanding.

The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.