My aim is to give you a good service at all times. However, if you have a complaint you are invited to let either my chambers, Exchequer Chambers, or me know as soon as possible. It is not necessary to involve solicitors in order to make your complaint but you are free to do so should you wish. The complaints policy of Exchequer Chambers is set out at https://www.exchequerchambers.com/complaints-procedure.
Your complaint should be made to either Exchequer Chambers or myself within three months of the completion of the work to which the complaint relates.
You may make the complaint direct to Exchequer Chambers in accordance with the chamber’s policy or to me, Richard Clayton, in writing, detailing the nature of the complaint and what you feel should be done about it. Both Exchequer Chambers and I will deal with your complaint promptly, courteously and hopefully it should be resolved to your satisfaction. If you make it to me and I consider it appropriate I will refer it to Exchequer Chambers.
In order to comply with requests from the Bar Standards Board in the exercise of its monitoring and or auditing functions all communications and documents relating to complaints will be kept confidential and disclosed only where legally required or so far as is reasonably necessary for the investigation and resolution. Records are kept for six years of each complaint, all steps taken in response to it and the outcome of the complaint, and copies of all relevant documentation including letters and emails correspondence.
If after following the complaints procedure above you are not content, you are within your rights to complain to the Legal Ombudsman.
Complaints to the Legal Ombudsman
In the event that you are not happy to raise your complaint with Exchequer Chambers or Richard Clayton directly, or having done so and you are still not happy with the response, then you may refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. Generally, the Legal Ombudsman will only consider your complaint if you have first used the complaints procedure, but the Ombudsman will consider a complaint where there has been no resolution within 8 weeks of your complaint.
You should note that not all clients have the right to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman and those excluded from the scheme include:
- most businesses (unless they are defined as micro-enterprises)
- charities or clubs with an annual income of more than £1m
- trustees of trusts with an asset value of more than £1m.
Where a written response has been sent to you under the complaints procedure, you must complain to the Legal Ombudsman within 6 months of that written response.
You can contact the Legal Ombudsman using the following details:
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Decisions made by the Legal Ombudsman within the last twelve months, about legal service providers, can be accessed at: https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/raising-standards/data-and-decisions