Complaints Procedureces

If for any reason you are dissatisfied by the service provided to you, please raise the issue with us at the earliest opportunity. In our experience, we find that it is the best way to ensure that issues are resolved without them becoming serious.

We have procedures to ensure that complaints are dealt with promptly, fairly, and free of charge.

We encourage clients who have any concerns regarding the quality of our service to contact us immediately.

Furthermore, we encourage clients at first instance to contact the solicitor or other file handler responsible for your case. Although you can do this by telephone, the preference is that you write to us as this assists in our monitoring of matters. If, for any reason, you are uncomfortable about contacting the person with responsibility for the matter, you may contact Mr John Itsagwede, the Principal Director of this firm.

If we cannot immediately respond and resolve the matter, we will give you a time frame for a response. We will often respond by way of a telephone call, but this will be followed with a confirmatory letter or e-mail. If the issue is relatively complex, we will send an initial written reply inviting your comments if you are dissatisfied with our reply.

If you cannot resolve the issue with the file handler, you should address your complaint to:

Mr John Itsagwede, J I Solicitors, 1-3 Atwell Road, London, SE15 4TW

On receipt of your complaint, Mr Itsagwede will acknowledge it within seven days and give you an estimate of how long it will take to respond. The time it will take to respond will depend upon the complexity of the matter and the availability of the caseworker responsible for the matter to be interviewed. We aim in all cases to give a full response in no more than 21 days of receipt of the complaint.

Following the consideration of the complaint by Mr Itsagwede he will contact you. If he contacts, you by telephone with a response, it will be followed in writing.

We will allow you 14 days to respond to our reply to your complaint, although we will be willing to extend this period by way of prior request.

Complaints are resolved within a maximum of 8 weeks.

What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint:

The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently, and it will not affect how we handle your case.

Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently, and it will not affect how we handle your case.

Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

• Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint
and
• No more than six years from the date of act/omission; or
• No more than three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them.
Contact details

Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9.00 to 17.00.
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ

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.