Complaints Handling

Complaints Handling Procedure for clients of Geradin Partners Limited

We want to give you the best possible service. However, if at any point you, as a client, become unhappy or concerned about the service we provided then you should inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.

• If you have any queries or concerns about the conduct of a matter please raise these with the matter partner. He or she will then follow our complaints procedure, which is as follows:
  • The matter partner will first discuss the issue with you and attempt to resolve it to your satisfaction.  He or she will aim to do this promptly and in any event within two weeks of being notified that you wish the issue to be treated as a formal complaint.
  • If the issue is not resolved to your satisfaction within those two weeks, you can choose to escalate the issue by referring it to the other partners of our firm.  It would be helpful if you could provide them with a written summary of your complaint, together with any relevant documents. These partners will give you the opportunity to meet with them (by telephone or video link if appropriate).  You can elect whether the matter partner attends that meeting or not.  The other partners will investigate your complaint and respond to you in writing with their proposed resolution (or confirm that they believe there is nothing further that the firm can do to resolve the issue) within two weeks of the issue being referred to them. We will keep a record of all such formal complaints.
• Before entering into legal proceedings regarding any complaint or dispute between us, you and we agree to follow our complaints procedure. If, after having followed the complaints procedure, the complaint or dispute remains unresolved, you and we agree to attempt to resolve any dispute in good faith through mediation before issuing legal proceedings. Should legal proceedings prove necessary, we will discuss with you whether the likely outcome in the matter justifies the expense and risk involved, including, where relevant, the potential liability for an opponent’s costs.  In any event, you will be liable to pay our invoices in full, regardless of any order for costs made against any other party.  Similarly, you will be liable for any costs of enforcing any order for costs against any other party if enforcement measures prove necessary.

For clients of Geradin Partners Limited only:

• If you are an individual member of the public, a small business, a charity, club or trust, you are able to pursue your complaint through the Legal Ombudsman and our complaints procedure does not affect your rights in any way. Normally, you will need to bring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint. If in doubt, please refer to the Legal Ombudsman at:  Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ or 0300 555 0333, enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk or www.legalombudsman.org.uk.
• If you consider that our charges are higher than they ought to be having regard to this contract then please discuss this in the first instance with the matter partner. In the absence of agreement you may make a formal complaint under our complaints procedure or may apply for an assessment by the court under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. If you apply for an assessment of costs within a month of the date of our invoice your right to a detailed assessment is unconditional. Subsequently, the court may impose conditions or refuse the application. 
• If the complaint concerns our professional conduct, you may raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Further information is available on the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s website.