Complaints » Killingworth & Parrott

At Killingworth & Parrott, we believe in certain values and we aim to deliver a professional yet personal service.

If something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it so we can try and put things right and improve our service.

Any complaint should be raised in first instance with person dealing with the matter. We ask you to speak with us first so that we can assess if the matter can be immediately resolved. If it cannot immediately be resolved then we will usually ask you to set out the details of your complaint in writing, unless an alternate format can be agreed.

What we will need from you

In order for us to deal with a concern as effectively as possible, we will need;-

Your name and contact details.
Your file reference number (if we are acting for you or have been acting for you previously).
Full details of your complaint.
Your thoughts on how you would like us to put things right.

What happens next?

If you discuss the complaint with us, we will try and resolve the matter at that time, otherwise we will ask you to formalise your complaint.
Once we receive your formalised complaint, we will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 5 working days, enclosing a copy of this Procedure.
We will investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to the Supervising Director (set out on the firm’s Instruction Form), who will review the file and speak to the person acting for you.
The Supervising Director will normally invite you to a meeting to discuss and, it is hoped, resolve your complaint. We aim to do this within 15 working days of the letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint.
If a meeting takes place with you, the Supervising Director will write to you within 5 working days of the meeting to confirm what took place and any solutions agreed with you.
If you do not want a meeting, or it is not held for any reason, the Supervising Director will send you a written reply to your complaint, including the suggestion or suggestions for resolving the matter, within 20 working days of the letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint.
If you are still not satisfied at this stage, you should contact us again to explain why and request a review of your complaint. Depending on the matter, the Directors (and or someone unconnected with the file) may then review the decision.
We will write to you within 10 working days of you requesting a review of your complaint. This will set out the firm’s final position on your complaint and explain our reasons.

If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.

What happens if we cannot resolve your complaint?

If you are still not satisfied at this stage, or we have not responded to your complaint within 8 weeks of you formalising your complaint, you have a right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman*. You can contact them by phone on 0300 555 0333; by email at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk; or by post at PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ.

If you choose to complain to the Legal Ombudsman, you must do so within six months of the date of our final written response but in any event this should be no later than;

- One year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or

- One year from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint.

The Legal Ombudsman is available for individuals and some small businesses, clubs and trusts. For further guidance on who can complain, what they can complain about and how the Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints, please refer to their further guidance available at www.legalombudsman.org.uk.

* Please note that the Legal Ombudsman will not normally get involved in matters concerning a possible breach of the SRA principles (which govern our work), such as allegations of dishonesty or discrimination. The Legal Ombudsman would normally refer such matters to the SRA but you can do this yourself. The SRA website address is www.sra.org.uk and this sets out how you can report an individual or firm.