Our Complaints Procedure

Our Commitment

Commonwealth Solicitors is committed to providing a high-quality legal 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.

If you have a complaint, please contact us with the details. We have eight weeks to consider your complaint. If we have not resolved it within this time you may complain to the Legal Ombudsman.

How to Complain

If you wish to make a complaint, you should first raise your concern with the solicitor or fee earner handling your matter. If you are not satisfied with their response, or if you prefer not to raise the issue with them directly, please contact our Complaints Manager.

You may make your complaint in writing, by email, by telephone, or in person. Please provide as much detail as possible, including your case reference number, the nature of your complaint, and the outcome you are seeking.

Contact Details for Complaints

Complaints Manager

Commonwealth Solicitors

Second Floor, 10–12 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1EW

Telephone: 0207 375 1274

Email: info@cwchambers.com

What Happens Next

1. We will send you a written acknowledgement of your complaint within two business days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
2. We will investigate your complaint. This will normally involve the Complaints Manager reviewing your file and speaking with the member of staff who acted for you.
3. The Complaints Manager may invite you to a meeting to discuss and, if possible, resolve your complaint. You do not have to attend if you do not wish to, or you may attend by telephone or video conference.
4. Within 14 days of any meeting, or within 21 days of first receiving your complaint (whichever is later), the Complaints Manager will write to you to confirm the outcome and any proposals for resolution.
5. If you remain dissatisfied, you may ask for the complaint to be reviewed by a senior partner or director. We will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on the matter.

The Legal Ombudsman

If we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you may refer it to the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints about service issues with lawyers.

You must normally refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within one year of the date of the act or omission you are complaining about, or within one year of when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

You must also refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final response from us about your complaint.

Contact the Legal Ombudsman:

Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Telephone: 0300 555 0333

Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

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

Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)

If you believe that your solicitor has behaved unethically or in breach of professional rules, you may report the matter to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The SRA can help if you are concerned about our behaviour — for example, issues of dishonesty, taking or losing your money, or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability, or other characteristic.

Contact the SRA:

Website: www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor

Telephone: 0370 606 2555

Email: contactcentre@sra.org.uk

Our SRA number is 630508.