Complaints Procedure

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 treat complaints very seriously and make every effort to deal with them effectively. We will investigate your complaint, and respond fully as soon as possible. Your complaint will be handled by the Principal Solicitor or alternatively a substitute appointed by and working under the supervision of the Principal Solicitor.

If you have any problem with our service, the level of our fees, or with the way in which we have dealt with any job (whether or not you are the client), please first contact the person dealing with the matter.

If you are a client, you might alternatively contact the Principal Solicitor at Temple Gate Solicitor, Zareena Mustafa, by telephone on +44 (0) 207 183 8043, by fax on +44 (0) 871 528 8845, by e-mail on info@templegatesolicitors.com or by post to Temple Gate Solicitors, Building 3, 297-303 Edgware Road, London, NW9 6NB.

We aim to acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days from the date of receipt and send an initial or final response within 14 working days. Should a substantive response be required we aim to send this to you within 8 weeks from the date of the complaint. If, for any reason, we are unable to respond fully within 8 weeks, we will tell you why, and when we anticipate replying in full.

The Principal Solicitors, or her substitute, will review your matter and will speak to the member of staff who acted for you. We will aim to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible and in any event within 8 weeks from the date of receipt.

At this stage, if you are not satisfied with the way in which your complaint has been resolved, you will be offered the opportunity of an internal review. If you choose this option you will be called in for a meeting at Temple Gate Solicitors, Building 3, 297-303 Edgware Road, London, NW9 6NB during which you will have the opportunity to discuss your complaint with us in greater length; this meeting will usually be recorded and witnessed. The meeting will usually be handled by the Principal Solicitor, Zareena Mustafa or a substitute appointed by and working under the supervision of ms Mustafa that is unconnected with the matter at the firm. Please note that you will have 14 days from the date of our decision to request an internal review; if you do not request an internal review within this time your complaint will be concluded and closed.

After we have conducted an internal review, you will receive a full written response of our decision within 28 days of the meeting with you. If we need further time to respond to your complaint we will inform you of this in writing within the 28 days. At this point, if you do not believe that we have responded to your complaint within a reasonable time, or you are not satisfied with the response, you should contact the Legal Ombudsman. The helpline number is 0300 555 0333, and the address is PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ. If you are calling from overseas, the contact telephone number is +44 121 245 3050. You can email the Legal Ombudsman on enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.

A six month time limit, from the date of our final response, normally applies to complaints to the Legal Ombudsman. Usually complaints must be made to the Legal Ombudsman within six years of the date of the reason for the complaint, or within 3 years of discovery of the reason for the complaint.

Further information can be found on its website at http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/. However, please note that the service provided by the Legal Ombudsman is only available to certain types of clients/organisations. Further details of those eligible for the service can be found on the Legal Ombudsman’s, websites. Alternatively, you should contact the Ombudsman on the helpline number given above.

We hope that the above is clear and in order for your consideration and look forward to working with you to resolve any difficulties you may have with our services to you.