Complaints Procedure|

At MBS Family Law we are committed to providing the highest level of legal service to all our clients, both domestic and international.

When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards.

We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).  We are extremely committed to high quality legal advice and client care and aim to offer all our clients a professional, friendly, efficient and effective service.   However, if our clients would like to discuss how the service to them could be improved, the level of their bill, or should there be any aspect of our service with which they are not satisfied, we ask them to please contact the person in our firm responsible for complaints handling, Melanie Bataillard-Samuel (Solicitor) (“Complaints Handler”) on (+44) 20 3813 7773 or melanie@mbsfamilylaw.com or by post to MBS Family Law, 330 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7QT

We are committed to the highest quality legal advice and client care and are keen to resolve any concerns as soon as possible and in order to do this, will follow our complaints handling procedure.

Our complaints procedure is as follows:

Step One: 

If they have not already done so, we ask our clients to let us know the full nature of the problem. In the first instance this should be to the fee earner with conduct of your matter alternatively to the Complaints Handler.

Step Two:

We will write to the client acknowledging their complaint within 5 working days.  In this letter, we shall confirm what happens next.

Step Three:

Our Complaints Handler (or at our discretion, we may chose to instruct an independent consultant) will then investigate the matter by reviewing the matter file and speaking to the member of staff concerned within 10 working days of acknowledging receipt of the complaint.  If, for some reason, the matter cannot be investigated in this timeframe, then we will write to the client notifying them of this together with the reason why and giving a revised timescale.

Once the investigation has been completed, the client will be invited to a meeting to discuss the issue(s) they have raised and hopefully resolve the complaint.  This meeting will take place within 5 working days of completion of the investigation.  Following the meeting, we will write to the client within 5 working days of the meeting to confirm the discussion and any solution agreed upon.

If the client does not want to or is unable to attend such a meeting (or a meeting is not necessary), we will be happy to send the client a detailed, written response, including the proposed solution, within 21 days of sending the letter acknowledging receipt of the complaint.

Step Four:

If the client is satisfied with our response following the above steps, that will be the end of the matter.  However, if the client is not satisfied, they will be invited to contact our Complaints Handler again and we will arrange for an independent consultant, to review the decision.   They will write to the client within 14 days of receiving the request with confirmation of the firm’s final position in relation to the complaint, outlining the reasons and any final redress that is offered.

Step Five: 

Clients must always try complaining to us first. In most cases they will not be able to take their complaint further without allowing us the opportunity to put things right.

Legal Ombudsman

We are permitted a period of eight weeks to consider the complaint. If for any reason we are unable to resolve the problem between us within that timeframe, then our clients are advised that they may ask the Legal Ombudsman to consider the complaint.

Clients are free to refer any complaint about our work, fees or level of service but there are some conditions and time limits.  Please be aware that any complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within 12 months of the client having received a final written response from us about their complaint.   Complaints to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made within six years of the act or omission about which the client is complaining occurring; or within three years from when the client should have known about or become aware that there were grounds for complaint.  The Legal Ombudsman will not accept complaints where the act or date of awareness was before 6 October 2010.

For further information, please contact the Legal Ombudsman on (+44) 300 555 0333 or visit www.legalombudsman.org.uk. The Legal Ombudsman may be contacted at PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ.

Solicitors Regulation Authority

If someone thinks a solicitor might be dishonest or you have concerns about their ethics or integrity, they have the right to notify our regulator, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).  There are no time limits for making a report but there are limits on what the SRA will consider. Please note that the SRA is not able to deal with issues of poor service (complaints of this nature should instead be referred to the Legal Ombudsman).  For further information about the SRA’s role, please contact the SRA or visit “SRA Report a Solicitor” on www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor

Please Note

If your complaint is specifically about our bill, you have the right to object to it and apply for an assessment of it under part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. If you should choose to exercise this right, and the court is assessing our bill, you may be unable to use the Legal Ombudsman service.

If the Legal Ombudsman considers there are exceptional circumstances (e.g. serious illness or you were still within the time limits when you made your initial complaint to them) then he/she may extend any of the above time limits to the extent that he/she considers fair.

Further Information

For further information about our complaints handling procedures, please do not hesitate to contact Melanie Bataillard-Samuel on (+44) 20 3813 7773 or melanie@mbsfamilylaw.com or by post to MBS Family Law, 330 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7QT