We are committed to delivering a high standard of service to all of our clients. However, we acknowledge that there might be occasions when our service does not quite meet our or your expectations. This Complaints Policy sets out the procedure for raising a complaint, explains how we will investigate and respond to concerns, together with relevant timeframes and the steps we will take to ensure that all complaints are handled promptly, fairly, transparently and in accordance with our professional obligations. We treat all complaints seriously and regard them as an important part of our commitment to maintaining professional standards and continuously improving our services.

Support & Vulnerabilities

We recognise that some clients have vulnerabilities, require assistance and/or reasonable adjustments to enable them to engage with our services more effectively. We are committed to treating all clients with sensitivity, fairness and respect, and to making reasonable adjustments where applicable. If you have any vulnerabilities or if you require any reasonable adjustments to be made in relation to our Complaints Policy and in respect of the services that we are providing to you, please let us know at the earliest opportunity so that we can take appropriate steps to support you.

1. How to make a complaint?
   • You must contact us in writing by either:

Email: complaints@baringslaw.com; or

Letter: Complaints Department, Barings Law, Cardinal House, 8^th Floor, St Mary’s Parsonage, Manchester, M3 2LY.

 

2. What should be included in the complaint.

In order to assist us with our investigation of your complaint, please ensure that the following are included in your initial complaint notification:

• Your full name;
• Your unique case file reference(s);

2.3 Your contact details;

2.4 An overview of what you believe has gone wrong; and

• What you hope to achieve as a result of your complaint.

For further support on how to articulate your complaint, please visit the Legal Ombudsman’s website.

 

• How will Barings Law deal with your complaint?
  • Your complaint will be recorded on our complaints register;
  • We will endeavour to acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within two working days and enclose a copy of this Complaints Policy for your records;
  • We will undertake a full review of your complaint, together with any accompanying evidence, your case file(s), communications and call recordings (if necessary);
  • We will liaise with the appropriate department and relevant individuals who have been involved in handling your case file(s).

In order to assist with our investigation, we might need further information from you, in which case, we will contact you with any such requests.

4. What happens when Barings Law have concluded their investigation?
   • If appropriate, we might invite you to a meeting to discuss your complaint; this could be conducted either in person or by telephone.
   • We will aim to provide you with our Final Response Letter within 28 days of receiving your complaint. The Final Response Letter will set out our understanding of your complaint, the findings of our investigation, and where appropriate, any proposed resolution to address your concerns. In certain circumstances, additional time might be required to complete our investigation. If we are unable to issue the Final Response Letter within 28 days, we will inform you at the earliest opportunity and may extend the timeframe by up to a further 28 days.

 

5. What recourse do you have if you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaint?
   • If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint and consider that your concerns have not been fully addressed or if you wish to submit new material evidence that has not previously been reviewed, we might, in certain limited circumstances, undertake a reassessment of your complaint. Such reconsideration will only be conducted where, in our professional judgment, it is both reasonable and necessary to do so.
   • In the event that you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you retain the right to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman for further review and consideration free of charge. The Legal Ombudsman’s contact details are as follows:
     • Post: PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH;
     • Website: legalombudsman.org.uk;
     • Email:  enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk; and
     • Telephone: 0300 555 0333.
   • The Legal Ombudsman Service expects complaints to be referred to it within one year following the date of the act or omission of which you are complaining or within one year from the date you should have reasonably known there was cause for complaint. In any event, you must refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within not more than six months after the date of our Final Response Letter to you. If your complaint is not referred to the Legal Ombudsman within six months or within the relevant time limits it is unlikely that the Legal Ombudsman will be able to consider your complaint, unless there are exceptional circumstances; however, it is important to note that this is at the Ombudsman’s discretion and cannot be guaranteed.

 

6. What will it cost?
   • We will not charge you for handling your complaint.
   • The Legal Ombudsman Service is free of charge.