Porto Bella Solicitors Ltd knows that from time to time mistakes will happen, things will go wrong and where they do the practice wants to put things right when it feels there are genuine grounds for complaint. The complaints policy tells you about the standard you can expect from the practice, and the complaints handling procedure tells you how the practice will deal with your complaint and how long it is likely to take.

Complaints Policy
Porto Bella Solicitors Ltd is committed to providing a high-quality of service to all clients. When dealing with complaints, Porto Bella Solicitors Ltd will aim to be reasonable, fair, proportionate and accessible. The practice will use any valid concerns or complaints as a way of improving its service.

Complaints Handling Procedure
You will have already raised a complaint with the person handling your matter. However, as your complaint has not been resolved, it’s been passed to the practice’s complaints handler.

Designated Complaints Handler
Porto Bella Solicitors Ltd's designated complaints handler is Fariha Akhtar who is the senior partner at this practice.

Step One: Acknowledging your Complaint
Within five working days of receiving your complaint from the person handling your matter, your complaint will be recorded in the practices complaints register, and a separate file will be opened to store any correspondence and  documents relating to your complaint. Within five working days, Fariha Akhtar will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint.

Step Two: Investigating your Complaint
Within 14 working days of sending the complaints policy and procedure to you (unless previously notified, in writing that more time is needed), Fariha Akhtar will review your file(s) and any other relevant documentation. You will be notified in writing as to whether Fariha Akhtar believes there are genuine grounds for a complaint.

If Fariha Akhtar agrees that there are genuine grounds for a complaint, she will send you a letter telling you how the practice proposes to deal with your complaint. Examples of what she might say in this letter are as follows:

If your complaint is straightforward she might make suggestions as to how the practice can put things right or may offer you some form of redress;

If your complaint is more complicated she might ask you to confirm, explain or clarify any issues;
She may ask to meet with you to discuss things face-to-face. If you would prefer not to meet, or if this cannot be arranged with an agreeable timescale, Fariha Akhtar will write to you, setting out her views on the situation, or asking you to confirm, explain or clarify any issues.

Whichever form the investigation takes, Fariha Akhtar will aim to give you a final decision within six weeks of receiving your complaint.

Step Three: Appealing against the Final Decision
If you are not satisfied with the final decision, please contact Fariha Akhtar and she will arrange for the office manager of the firm to review her decision. Fariha Akhtar will let you know the result of any appeal within five working days of receiving your appeal.

Step Four: The Legal Ombudsman
If you are still not satisfied, you can then contact the Legal Ombudsman about your complaint.

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 tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must tyake your ciomplaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

• Within six months of receiving our final response to your complaint

  and

• No more than one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about, or

• No more than one year from the date when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint.

Legal Ombudsman Contact Details
Address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH

Telephone: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm

Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

What to do if you are unhappy with our behaviour
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 or click the logo below.