Complaints Policy
First step: It may be helpful to contact the person who is handling your matter. If you still have queries or concerns, please contact Muhammad Umer Binyameen, our Client Care Partner, to whom any final issues can be reported.
Formal Complaint Procedure
The following outlines our recommended procedure for making a formal complaint. Please note that making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.
A formal complaint should be addressed to our head of practice Muhammad Umer Binyameen, who can be contacted in writing at:
BLC Solicitors
193A Station Road, Birmingham, B33 8BB
Please set out the details of the complaint. Here’s what happens next:
We will acknowledge your complaint within seven (7) working days of receipt.
Our head of practice will share your complaint with the person responsible for your matter and ask them to conduct a complete review of the file and respond in writing. He will also interview any members of staff involved.
You will receive a written response within 28 days from the date the complaint is first acknowledged. This response will set out the result of our investigation, any proposed resolution, and, if relevant, any procedural changes we will make to ensure the situation does not arise again.
Taking the Complaint Further
Once you have exhausted our internal complaint procedure and are still not satisfied, you are entitled to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.
The Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints about service issues with lawyers. They expect 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 you realising there was a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you.
The Legal Ombudsman may consider complaints made after these deadlines if it is fair and reasonable for them to do so. They may decide not to pursue a complaint if:
- there was no significant loss, distress, inconvenience, or detriment;
- the size or complexity of the complaint, or your behaviour, results in the complaint requiring a disproportionate use of resources;
- there has been undue delay in bringing the complaint;
- you have already accepted a reasonable offer we made.