Complaints

If something has gone wrong or you are unhappy with our service, please let us know as soon as possible. We aim to resolve any issues quickly and fairly. You can complain about any part of our work, including our services and charges. We treat all concerns seriously and handle them promptly, fairly, and free of charge.

How to Complain

First, tell the person handling your matter about your complaint. If we cannot resolve it immediately, we will:

  • Acknowledge your complaint in writing within seven working days.
  • Respond with our solution within twenty-five working days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can ask the department manager or the supervisor named in our engagement letter to review it. This request must be made within three months of our initial response. The manager or supervisor will:

  • Acknowledge your request within seven working days.
  • Provide a final response within twenty-five working days.

Contact Details for Complaints

  • First Contact: The person handling your matter.
  • Second Contact: The department manager or named supervisor.

If Your Complaint Is Unresolved

If your complaint is not resolved within eight weeks, we will inform you in writing. You may then:

  • Complain to the Legal Ombudsman (if you qualify), including details on how to contact them.
  • Learn about alternative dispute resolution (ADR) bodies and whether we agree to use their services.

Legal Ombudsman

Complaints to the Legal Ombudsman must be made within one year of the problem or when you first realised there could be grounds for a complaint. You must also complain within six months of our final response.

Contact the Legal Ombudsman at:

Complaints About Bills

You can use the same procedure to complain about your bill. If the bill is for contentious work, you can have it assessed by the Court, but then the Legal Ombudsman cannot be used for that matter regarding the amount charged. Interest may be charged on unpaid bills, and we may keep your documents until full payment is received.

Quality Records

All complaints are recorded in a central register, which is audited regularly to ensure proper action. This helps us review and improve our quality standards.

Negligence

If you believe we have been negligent, inform us. Negligence claims follow the Professional Negligence Pre-Action Protocol, not our complaints procedure. If you make a negligence claim, we may not be able to continue representing you due to a potential conflict of interest, and you may need another firm to take over your case.

Ongoing Improvement

We aim to learn from all complaints and improve our services. After completing your work, we will send you a satisfaction questionnaire. Your feedback helps us enhance our standards for all clients.

Compliance Officer

Each legal practice has a Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) to ensure compliance with laws and regulations. The COLP reports any serious misconduct to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) but does not handle complaints directly.

Fatima Boujettif is the COLP at Shield Solictors. She can be contacted at:
Manak House, Kangley Bridge Road, London SE26