Our complaints policy

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. If you become unhappy or concerned about our service, please  tell us about it, so we can endeavour to resolve the problem. This will help us to improve our standards.

To begin it may be helpful to contact the person who is working with you to discuss your concerns.

Our complaints procedure

If you have a complaint, please contact Andrew Bryan, our Complaints Partner with details of your complaint. You can write to him at 12 High Street, Fareham, Hants PO16 7BL. Tel: 01329 822333 or email by clicking here .  If we have to change any of these arrangements or the timescales set out below we will let you know.

Our complaints process adopts such time limits as set by law or the Legal Ombudsman service.

To help us understand your complaint, and to ensure we have all relevant information, please tell us:

• Your full name and contact details
•  The nature of your complaint
•  Your file reference number (if you have it)

What will happen next?

1. Wherever possible, within five days of receiving your complaint we will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint and asking you to confirm or explain any details. We will also let you know the name of the person who will be dealing with your complaint.
2. We will then record your complaint in our central register and open a file for your complaint. We will investigate your complaint by examining the relevant file and reviewing your complaint with the person to whom the complaint relates.
3. The Complaints Partner will write to you setting out Churchers’ response to your complaint, including his views on the issues raised and offering any redress that he considers to be appropriate. We would hope to be in a position to write to you in this way within 28 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter but we will write to you within 56 days.
4. If you are still not satisfied, please let us know. We will then arrange to review our decision. We would generally aim to do this within 21 days.
5. If you remain dissatisfied with Churchers’ response to your complaint, you may contact:

Legal Ombudsman

PO Box 6167

Slough

SL1 0EH

• By telephone: 0300 555 0333, or
•  By email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk 

What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint?

The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint. The Ombudsman will look at your complaint independently.

Before accepting a compliant for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first.

Any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six months of the date of our final written response on your complaint, and no more than one year from  the act or omission about which you are complaining ; or no more than one year from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint. For further information, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333  or at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.

What to do if you are unhappy with our behaviour?

The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing money, or treating you unfairly because of a protected characteristic.

Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority at www.sra.org.uk