Complaints Procedure

Complaints Procedure and the firm’s Standard of Service

Warner & Richardson LLP is committed to high quality legal advice and client care.

If you are unhappy about any aspect of the service you have received or about the bill, please contact the practitioner dealing with your matter first and immediately on becoming aware of the issue concerned to allow the individual dealing with your matter the opportunity to resolve the matter as amicably and as early as possible.

If you do not feel able to discuss your concerns with them, please contact the partner supervising your matter, who will be named in the letter of engagement we will have sent you at the outset of the matter, again as early as possible.  If the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction within 5 working days of raising the issue informally then please contact Richard Robson who is the firm’s complaints partner, on 01962 868366 or by email at rrobson@wandr.co.uk or by post to the office at 29 Jewry Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8RR for his independent review.

If you are still not satisfied, please register a formal complaint by writing to us including all the information suggested by the Legal Ombudsman, including your full name and contact details and clearly stating what the issue is and how you would like it to be resolved.  The Legal Ombudsman’s website at https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/information-centre/consumer-resources/complaining-to-a-service-provider/ includes some useful checklists and sample letters to assist in these respects.

We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days of receipt of your written complaint letter, offer an explanation of our understanding of the issue(s) concerned and an estimate of the timescales of the steps we will need to take and our response(s) in order to resolve your complaint.

We will investigate your complaint fully by reviewing your complaint letter, reviewing your instructions in the matter, the relevant file(s) and documents, and liaising with the person(s) dealing with the matter concerned. We may need to ask you to provide further information or documents in which case we will ask you to supply the information within a specific period of time. We will update you on the progress of your complaint and our investigation at appropriate times.

If appropriate, we may suggest meeting you in person to discuss your complaint and any particular points relating to it. You are not obliged to attend the meeting if you do not wish to or if you are unable to in which case we will discuss the matter with you by telephone and / or written correspondence as necessary.

Following our investigation and further enquiries (if any) and in any event within eight weeks of receipt of your letter of complaint, we will provide you with a written response to your complaint explaining what we have done, the firm’s final response to the points raised in your complaint letter and our proposed resolution of your complaint.

We have eight weeks to consider your complaint from the time that we have received your formal complaint letter. You will not be charged for any time spent handling your complaint.

In the very unlikely event that we have not resolved your complaint within eight weeks of receipt of your formal complaint letter or you still remain dissatisfied in these respects then you may ask the Legal Ombudsman to consider your complaint. For more information on how the Legal Ombudsman works please visit the Legal Ombudsman’s website at https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk.

Timescales

In normal circumstances you should register a complaint with us within one year of becoming aware of the issue concerned.  You must allow us eight weeks to try to resolve your complaint before contacting the Legal Ombudsman.

A complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must normally be made:-

  • within six months of the date of the conclusion of the Firm’s complaints procedure and
  • no more than one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about;
  • or no more than one year from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint.

In addition to the Legal Ombudsman, several other complaints bodies exist which are also able to deal with complaints about legal services – these are: Ombudsman Services, ProMediate, Small Claims Mediation and the European Online Dispute Resolution platform. Information about these alternatives can be found at:

Alternatively, in the unlikely event that you believe that we have failed to meet standards required or are concerned about our professional conduct or behaviour towards you or you have an allegation of dishonesty, discrimination against you or other misconduct in breach of the Solicitors’ Code of Conduct or the Solicitors Accounts Rules by a partner or member of staff of this firm then you may raise such matters or complain to the Solicitors Regulation Authority through its website at https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/

Our Services

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Very happy with the service.  Robert Croft worked very hard on our behalf and dealt with all our issues very professionally. We will definitely be using Warner & Richardson again. Thank you.

K T

I cannot thank Scott and Jane enough for their work in securing our home and their professionalism and warmth were exceptional.

A C

Simon, it’s been much harder than it needed to be, but thanks to your diligence, common sense approach and great communication, I have felt like we have been the example of what selling a property should be.

A J

Katharine, we thank you very much indeed for your work on this case, always efficient and courteous and as prompt as other agencies allowed you to be.

M P

10/10 No suggestions. Great service.

P S

No improvements required. Warner & Richardson’s service, in particular Mr R Croft helped us through a very stressful time.

M A E

Altogether a very courteous and efficient service. We would use Mr Croft again.

R B

Excellent, thank you for all the work you’ve carried out over the last year Simon.

J A

Scott, I would like to express again my sincere appreciation to you and Jane for your expertise, guidance and support throughout the property sale and purchase.  Your calm and reassuring manner ensured that the inevitable stresses involved at these times were kept to an absolute minimum!

JW

Robert Croft, we were very impressed with your service and would happily use you again and recommend you.  Very grateful and many thanks.

GD

Mr Croft and his team provided a straightforward, clear and stress free service.  They were quick to respond and pleasant with their communication. Value for service.  Thank you.

DLB

Scott, I am very grateful to you for all the work you undertook on my behalf regarding the purchase and sale.  I think you undertook much more work than was accounted for and I was most impressed by the courteous and efficient way you dealt with it all.  Many thanks for your hard work.

Robert Croft.  I have enjoyed many years of association with Warner & Richardson, including your work with our Family and the business where I worked, and since the days of Humphrey Carr have always found you most supportive and efficient, especially with the recent house sale 10/10

TM

Robert 10/10 immaculate all round.  Thank you!

10/10 very satisfied with the Mr Croft’s patience and accuracy.

Simon, with heartfelt thanks for helping us achieve this historic landmark for our little organization.