Complaints Procedure

This is our Client complaints procedure which we will follow if you are a client of Walker Morris LLP

At Walker Morris we are committed to providing a high-quality 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 and ensure that you are getting the service you deserve.

A complaint is any oral or written expression of dissatisfaction about our service where the complainant alleges they have suffered, or may suffer, loss, distress, inconvenience or other detriment.

If you are dissatisfied with the level of service you have received, we need you to write to us so that we can find a solution to your problem.  You should send details of your complaint to the General Counsel at Walker Morris LLP, 33 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL.

If you would prefer to make your complaint by another method, or require support or reasonable adjustments to do so, please let us know and we will make appropriate arrangements.

What will happen once we receive your written complaint?

• We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within seven days of us receiving your complaint. If necessary, we will ask you to provide us with further details/information.  We will also let you know who will be handling the matter.  (Please note that in many cases the complaint will be dealt with, in the first instance, by the Head of the relevant Department or Group).
• We will start to investigate your complaint. This will normally involve us reviewing the matter file and speaking with the legal adviser(s)/partner(s) who acted on your behalf.
• Following our investigation, we will send you a detailed response within 28 days from the date of your original complaint or, where we have asked you for further information, within 14 days of our receiving that information from you. Our final response will state the outcome of our investigation.  If we require more time to investigate the matter, we will notify you and confirm when we will contact you next.
• In cases where the initial investigation has been handled by the Head of the relevant Department or Group, if you are not satisfied by our detailed response, we will refer the matter to our General Counsel to review the decision. We will write to you within seven 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 at the end of our own complaints process, you are entitled to contact the Legal Ombudsman (LeO). The time limit for referring a complaint to the LeO will normally be within six months of receiving our final written response to your complaint and not later than one year from the date of either:
  • the act or omission being complained about; or
  • when the complainant should have realised that there was cause for complaint
• LeO will have discretion to accept out-of-time complaints in circumstances where it deems it “fair and reasonable to do so”.
• The address to contact the LeO is:

• Alternative complaints bodies (such as Pro Mediate UK Limited, website address: promediate.co.uk) exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services should both you and we agree. However, we do not agree to use such a scheme.
• If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.

The Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints about the service we have provided to you.  Walker Morris LLP is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The Solicitors Regulation Authority does not resolve service complaints or award compensation but may investigate concerns about a solicitor’s professional conduct or regulatory breaches.

The relevant contact details will be set out in our final response letter but appear again below:

Any feedback which enables us to improve our services is very welcome.