Scott + Scott UK LLP
Complaints Handling Policy

Scott+Scott UK LLP is committed to providing a high-quality legal service to our clients. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it to help us to improve our service. We aim to deal promptly, fairly and effectively with any complaint about any aspect of our service.

References in this policy to a “partner” shall mean a member of Scott+Scott UK LLP.

How to Complain

If you have a complaint, please give the details of your complaint (by letter, email or telephone) to the partner with whom you feel you have the closest relationship. If you have not dealt directly with a partner, please contact the partner named in our engagement letter as the person responsible for supervising your matter.

Quick resolution of your complaint

It is possible that, after investigation, the partner to whom you first notified your complaint can quickly resolve it to your satisfaction, in which case, he or she will record in writing to you (within 7 days of your first contacting us) the agreed manner of resolution.

If, however, your complaint is not resolved to your complete satisfaction within 7 days of your first contacting us, you should notify (by letter, email or telephone) the partner first contacted by you that you require your complaint to be investigated by another partner.

What will happen next?

Another partner will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to our Complaints Handling Officer or, if he or she is the subject of the complaint, the Deputy Complaints Handling Officer, who will:
- within 3 days of your request for another partner to investigate your complaint, send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint and enclosing a copy of this policy (“acknowledgement letter”); and
- nominate a partner unconnected with your matter to review your matter file and speak to the member of staff who acted for you.
The partner nominated to investigate your complaint will then invite you to a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. He or she will do this within 14 days of the acknowledgement letter.
Within 3 days of the meeting, the partner who met with you will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions he or she has agreed with you.
If you do not want or if it is not possible for you to attend a meeting, the partner nominated to deal with your complaint will, within 21 days of the acknowledgement letter, send you a detailed written reply to your complaint including his or her suggestions for resolving the matter.
At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should (by letter, email or telephone) contact our Complaints Handling Officer who will review the decision.
Our Complaints Handling Officer will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
If you are still not satisfied, you can then contact the Legal Ombudsman (see details below). The Legal Ombudsman may be prepared to investigate your complaint if you satisfy the relevant criteria.

If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.

Contact Information

Complaints Handling Officer

Belinda Hollway
Scott+Scott UK LLP
St. Bartholomew House
90-94 Fleet Street
London
EC4Y 1DH
Email: bhollway@scott-scott.com
Telephone: +44 20 3910 4921

Deputy Complaints Handling Officer

Daryl Scott
c/o Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP
156 South Main Street
Colchester
CT 06415
Email: Darylscott@scott-scott.com
Telephone: +1 860 537 5537

What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint – 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 information

The Legal Ombudsman
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

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.