We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. We acknowledge that we may not always get it right, so if something has gone wrong, we need you to tell us. This will help us to improve our standards of service.
How do I make a complaint?
You can contact us in writing (by letter or email) or by telephone.
In the first instance, it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues.
If you do not feel able to discuss your concerns with them, please contact the person responsible for the overall supervision of your matter, who will be named in the engagement letter we sent you at the beginning of your matter.
If you do not feel able to raise your concerns with either of these people, or you are unsatisfied with their response, please contact Peter Jensen our Complaints Manager, who has overall responsibility for complaints by email to [email protected]; by phone on 01253 824216; or in writing to our Fleetwood office (address below)
If your complaint is in relation to Peter Jensen, it will be passed to Judith Abram for investigation.
To help us to understand your complaint, and in order that we do not miss anything, please tell us:
1. Your full name, address, phone number, and email address (if applicable);
2. What you think we have got wrong;
3. How you would like your complaint to be resolved; and
4. Your file reference number (if you have it). If you require any help in making your complaint, we will try to help you.
How will you deal with my complaint?
1. We will write to you acknowledging your complaint within three working days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this policy and procedure.
2. We will record your complaint centrally.
3. We will investigate your complaint. This will usually involve
a) reviewing your complaint;
b) reviewing your file(s) and other relevant documents; and
c) liaising with the person who dealt with your matter.
4. We may also need to ask you for further information or documents. If so, we will ask you to provide it/them within a specific period of time.
5. 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. We will be happy to discuss the matter with you by telephone or by video conference.
6. 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 35 days of the date of our letter of acknowledgement.
What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint
We have eight weeks to consider your complaint. If we have not resolved it within this time, you may be able to complain to the Legal Ombudsman. 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). The Legal Ombudsman will look at your complaint independently, and it will not affect how we handle your matter.
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, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:
(1) within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint from us; and
(2) no more than one year from the date of act/omission or when you should reasonably have known there was a cause for complaint.
The Legal Ombudsman has discretion to accept out of time complaints in circumstances where it deems it ‘fair and reasonable’ to do so.
If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them.
Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday
Email: [email protected]
Write a letter to: The Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH
Alternative complaints (ADR) bodies exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and our firm wish to use such a scheme e.g. Ombudsman Services, ProMediate, and Small Claims Mediation, however, we have chosen not to adopt an ADR process. If, therefore, you wish to complain further you should contact the Legal Ombudsman.
What to do if you are unhappy with our behaviour
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) 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 the SRA website at www.sra.org.uk to see how you can raise your concerns.
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. This is explained in our Terms of Business.
The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.
PHH Solicitors are open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday:
Cleveleys office address: York House, 1 York Avenue, Thornton-Cleveleys, FY5 2UQ. Telephone 01253 824 216
Fleetwood office address: 25 Poulton Street, Fleetwood, FY7 6LP.
Telephone 01253 778 231
UPON REQUEST, THIS DOCUMENT IS ALSO AVAILABLE IN LARGE PRINT OR AUDIO.
Version: May 2025