Complaints Policy
Digiphile aims to provide advice that is always “Simple. Strategic. Actionable” for our clients. We recognise that our clients expect a high quality of service, and we strive always to deliver this.
Client feedback, whether positive or negative, helps us to understand what we are getting right (or wrong) and to continually improve our service. For this reason, we welcome – indeed, encourage – feedback from our clients. If you feel that you are not receiving excellent client service or that something could be improved, please do tell us about it. If we have fallen short of the high standards which we have set for ourselves then we would like the opportunity to put it right.
What should I do if I have feedback or a complaint?
In the first instance, please discuss any feedback or concerns you have about our service with the lawyer dealing with your matter. If the lawyer dealing cannot resolve your concern informally, if the issue is of a serious nature, or if you prefer for any other reason to make a formal complaint, then you may raise a formal complaint under this Complaints Policy at any time as described below.
How do I raise a complaint under this Complaints Policy?
To raise a formal complaint under this Complaints Policy, please email [email protected] with the following details about your concern:
- why you are dissatisfied with the service which you have received;
- how you would prefer to be contacted about your complaint; and
- what (if anything) you would like us to do to resolve your complaint.
If you would prefer not to email details of your complaint, then please call to discuss your concerns.
What happens after I have made a complaint under this Complaints Policy?
Once we have received your complaint, we will endeavour to:
- acknowledge your complaint in writing within seven (7) days of the date on which we received your complaint;
- investigate the concerns and, where appropriate, discuss with you how to resolve the issues within twenty-one (21) days of the date on which we received your complaint; and
- confirm the outcome of our investigation and any proposed remediation in writing within twenty-eight (28) days of the date on which we received your complaint.
In exceptional circumstances, we may need to extend the timescales described above but will let you know at the earliest opportunity in writing of any such extension.
If we have been unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction within eight (8) weeks from the date on which we received your complaint then, if you are eligible, we will remind you at that time how to complain to the Legal Ombudsman.
Digiphile logs all complaints received under this Complaints Policy on our central complaints register.
What actions will you take to resolve my complaint?
Where our service has fallen short of the standards you (and we) expect of us, we will apologise to you. In appropriate cases, we may also agree to take other steps to remediate any failings on our part (for example, by reimbursing fees you have paid) and to ensure that any problems experienced will not reoccur.
What if you do not resolve the complaint to my satisfaction?
If you remain unsatisfied with our response, you may be entitled to complain to the Legal Ombudsman about our service. Please note that this service is not available to large business clients , however.
The Ombudsman will generally expect clients to follow a firm’s internal complaints procedure first. You can find further information about the Ombudsman on the website www.legalombudsman.org.uk. You can also write to the Ombudsman at Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH, or by email on [email protected] or call on 0300 555 0333.
You must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint from us. The Legal Ombudsman also expects complaints to be made to them within 1 year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within 1 year of you realising there was a concern.
What if my complaint relates to concerns about professional misconduct?
Please note that the Legal Ombudsman exists to deal with concerns about the level or quality of service received.
If instead you have more serious concerns that a solicitor or solicitor’s firm may have been involved in professional misconduct (e.g. such as acts of dishonesty, taking or losing your money, or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic) then you can make a report to the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which is the regulator of solicitors and solicitor firms. You can find out more about the Solicitors Regulation Authority including their contact details and professional conduct rules on its website: www.sra.org.uk.
While we do not anticipate any such problems arising, we would ask that you first notify the lawyer responsible for your matter straight away if you have any such concerns (unless, for any reason, you feel unable to do so or consider it otherwise inappropriate to do so).
Last updated: 9 February 2024
