Complaints procedure

Ways to complain

I am committed to providing a high quality of service and I am confident I shall do so. Nevertheless, things can go wrong. I am required to inform you of the procedure you should follow if you do encounter a problem with our service (https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/).

In such an event please contact me personally, that is Mark Thompson. If that approach does not satisfy you, or if you prefer to talk to someone else, you will appreciate I usually practice alone, so cannot refer you to a colleague. What I would propose is, we agree on someone independent of the case to assist.

My suggestion is that we use the meditation service offered by the Devon and Somerset Law Society. (https://www.dasls.com/page/mediation.html) I will consider any other person or organisation you prefer.

If we cannot resolve the issue, you may complain about my service to the Legal Ombudsman. (https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/). Please note, there is a time limit for such a complaint. Any complaint must be referred to the Legal Ombudsman:

• one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or
• one year from the date when the complainant should have realised that there was cause for complaint.

Whilst I hope that such a situation would never arise, you should be aware that your ultimate recourse is to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (“SRA”). The SRA deal with breaches of the principles under which a solicitor must practice. The SRA do not deal with service matters.