We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. When something goes wrong we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards. We undertake to deal with any complaints or concerns raised with us in a prompt, fair and effective manner.
Our Quality Assurance Procedure
If you have a complaint, please contact our ‘Quality Assurance Director’ at Cornish Venning Ltd, Unit N Questmap Business Park, Long Rock, Penzance, Cornwall, TR20 8AS
Telephone: 01736 362362 – Email: Complaints@cvc-solicitors.co.uk
If we have to change any of the timescales set out below, we will let you know and explain why.
What Will Happen Next?
- We will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint and asking you to confirm or explain any details. If it seems appropriate, we will suggest a meeting at this stage. We will also let you know the name of the person who will be dealing with your complaint.
- We will then record your complaint in our central register and open a file for your complaint. We will also investigate your complaint by examining the relevant file.
- If appropriate we will then invite you to meet the ‘Quality Assurance Director’ to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. We would hope to be in a position to meet with you in this way no longer than 14 days after first receiving your complaint. If you would prefer not to meet, or if we cannot arrange this within an agreeable timescale the ‘Quality Assurance Director’ will write to you setting out fully their views on the situation and any redress that we would feel to be appropriate.
- Within two days of any meeting we will write to you to confirm what took place and any suggestions that we have agreed with you. In appropriate cases we could offer an apology, a reduction of any bill or a repayment in relation to any payment received.
- At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, please let us know. We will then arrange to review our decision. We would generally aim to do this within 10 days. This will happen in one of the following ways:
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- The ‘Quality Assurance Director’ will review their own decision.
- We will arrange for someone in the firm who has not been involved in your complaint to review it.
- The ‘Quality Assurance Director’ will review your complaint within 10 days.
- We will ask our local Law Society or another local firm of solicitors to review your complaint. (We will let you know how long this process will take).
- We will invite you to agree to independent mediation. We will let you know how long this process will take.
We will let you know the result of the review within five days of the end of the review. At this time, we will write to you confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
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:
- Within six months of receiving our final response to your complaint
and
- No more than one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or
- No more than one year from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint.
For more information contact the Legal Ombudsman.
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.
