Details of our service levels and what we will, and can, undertake for you are explained at our initial meeting, or discussion, with you. This information is reinforced within the initial client care information we supply to you which, also, includes confirmation of the key advice given, the fees quoted and the instructions you have given to us, as well as our Terms and Conditions of Business. The client care letter will give you certainty as to what has been agreed and will happen. If, during the course of the matter, there is any significant variation agreed we will proudly take the responsibility to inform you in due time.
We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients.
We appreciate that the nature of many matters in which we are instructed, are difficult and stressful, it is our aim that your dealings with us will be as smooth and as trouble free as possible.
In the normal course of events, it is unlikely that anything will occur to cause you concern, or turn out to be averse to your best interest.
Should you have any cause for concern then you should raise it initially with the person who has the day to day conduct of your matter. He or she will endeavour to resolve the issue as promptly as possible with you to reassure you and retain your confidence in us.
In the unlikely event that you feel the response has not been satisfactory, or the nature of the issue is such that you feel you cannot, or it would be inappropriate to, deal with that person, then you should contact the Principal (Head) and overall supervisor of the practice, Manzoor Ahmad Shah. He will look to ensure the matter is addressed appropriately to ensure the best outcome for you. If it should be that he has had direct dealings with your matter he will ensure that the issue is looked into by another solicitor in the practice who has not.
If the matter should remain unresolved to your satisfaction or, in your mind, the matter is too serious to be dealt with as above, then you may raise a formal complaint with us.
If you do have a complaint please do contact our Principal, Manzoor Ahmad Shah who, as well as being the head of our practice, is the designated person responsible for overseeing the dealing with any complaint.
In such an event it would be useful, though in no way compulsory, for you to provide a written description, preferably in English, of the issue and what you wish to see rectified. Also, if it is possible at that stage, how you feel that could be achieved.
We may well meet with you to discuss the matter and obtain more information so that we may fully understand your concerns. We aim for such meeting to be within 7 days of first being made aware of your complaint.
We will within 7 days of receiving your complaint or 7 days from an initial meeting with you, write to you setting out our understanding of your complaint and that we will look into it fully and promptly. If by then we have manged to resolve the matter or are already able to respond fully to the complaint, we will also set that out to you in writing.
It is our aim to be able to respond fully to any complaint with any proposals we have for the resolution of the matter within 7 days of being able to confirm to you our understanding of the nature thereof. In any event it is our aim to complete all the above steps within 28 days of first becoming aware of the complaint.
If it should be that you are still not satisfied then you may make an appeal to us and we will have someone else within our firm, or a suitable external person, who has not had any dealings with you or the matter, carry out a full review. If we felt it was appropriate to have someone outside the firm look at the matter, we would inform you in advance and seek your consent to that person examining your file and questioning our staff in relation to the conduct of the matter.
Within 14 days of receiving your appeal we would write to you with the result and findings of the review with any proposals we have as to resolution of the matter.
If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why. If we have not concluded the above process within 8 weeks of the complaint first being notified to us you have a right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman Service.
If, after we have completed the above process you remain dissatisfied then it is open to you to make complaint to the independent Legal Ombudsmen Service by telephoning them on 0300 555 0333 or writing to: Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH.Their web-site is Legal Ombudsman.
There are time limits on your being able to complain to the Legal Ombudsman. You have up to six months from receiving our final response to your complaint and no more than one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about. There is an additional time limit which is to be given due consideration. Namely, if we have not been contacted about a complaint in line with our complaints procedure then the time limit is one year from the date when you should have reasonably known there was a cause for complaint. The sooner time limit will apply.
The Ombudsman has discretion to extend time limits if an ombudsman considers it fair and reasonable in all the circumstances.
Certain clients cannot use the Legal Ombudsman service such as most businesses, charities or clubs with an annual income in excess of £1m or trustees of a trust with asset value more than £1m. This information is given to assist but may change from time to time and no warranty is given by us as to its full and up to date accuracy. The office of the Legal Ombudsman should be contacted for definitive information.
In accordance with the European Union Service Directive we are required to provide you with details of our professional indemnity insurance which we carry to meet any claim that might successfully be made against us for damages arising from any negligent work.
We are covered to a maximum value of £3, 000, 000 per claim by Accredited Insurance (Europe) Ltd and our Policy number: Inperio-050199.
Their contact details are as follows:
Inperio (London) Ltd
5 Lloyd’s Avenue
City of London
EC3N 3AE
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help 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, a disability or other characteristic. Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Manzoor Ahmad Shah is an experienced solicitor and the director of Shah Law Chambers Ltd
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