Complaints Policy

Our Commitment

At SBW Law we are committed to providing a comprehensive and top-quality legal service to all of our clients. However, if you ever feel that we have fallen below these high standards then you should inform us of this to help us to improve in any way we can.

We treat all complaints extremely seriously any feedback that we receive from our customers is invaluable in improving service standards.

Making a Complaint

If you have any concerns about how your claim is being handled then please first raise the issue with your file handler. In most cases, an informal conversation with your file handler will resolve any issues that you have.

However, if you do not feel that your concerns have been resolved then you may escalate your complaint to the Complaints Partner so that your concerns can be investigated formally through the firm’s Complaints Policy. Our Complaints Partner is Craig Ralph who can be contacted at: complaints@sbwlaw.co.uk or by post at: SBW Law, 11a The Matchworks, Speke Road, Liverpool, L19 2RF.

If the matter is escalated to our Complaints Partner then your complaint will be acknowledged within 1 week. We will then investigate your concerns and formally respond to the same within 8 weeks.

Referral to the Legal Ombudsman

If we are unable to resolve your complaint then you can refer the matter to the Legal Ombudsman to be independently reviewed.

The Legal Ombudsman can investigate complaints up to 12 months from the date of the issue occurring or within 12 months of when you found out about the problem. If you wish to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman then this must be done within six months of our final response to your complaint. If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman their contact details are:

Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH

Do not send original documents to the Legal Ombudsman. They will scan any documents you send us to make computer copies and then destroy the originals.

Querying Your Bill

We must also advise you that you have the right to object to our bill by making a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. You may also have a right to apply to the court for assessment of our bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. Please note that the Legal Ombudsman may not deal with your complaint if you have already applied to the court for assessment of your bill.

If all or part of our bill remains unpaid while you dispute it, the firm may be entitled to charge interest.

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 your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.

Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Data Protection Complaints

SBW Law are committed to conducting their business to ensure that the confidentiality of personal information is protected and maintained. If you have any concerns about your data and protection of it, you are entitled to raise a complaint with the firm.  The Data Protection Officer is Craig Ralph.  You should direct your complaint to:

E: craig.ralph@sbwlaw.co.uk

T: 0333 305 5005

A: 11A The Matchworks, Speke Road, Liverpool, L19 2RF

By way of example:

If the complaint is received on Thursday 5th June. The 30 days don’t begin until the start of Friday 6th June. This means 30 days end at the end of Saturday 5th July. However, as this falls on a weekend, the firm will have until the end of Monday 7th July to acknowledge/deal with the complaint.

The firm will keep you updated on the progress of the investigation without undue delay.

If you are unhappy with the firm’s response/outcome, you as the data subject have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner.

Information Commissioner’s Office

W. ico.org.uk

A:  Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow SK9 5AF

T: 0303 123 1113

The firm also operate a Privacy Policy which can be found on the firm’s website https://sbwlaw.co.uk
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