LEVER LAW SOLICITORS : ABOUT

We understand there are many law firms to choose from and it can often be difficult to decide upon which one is right for you. Most law firms will offer you the same level of service. However, we pride ourselves on going the extra mile, we offer our clients a higher level of service than they would usually expect.

We know that a lot of clients are often apprehensive when approaching solicitors and we believe that our friendly supportive advice will put you at ease from the outset.
Our staff will take the time to understand your needs and provide you with the legal advice you require in an efficient and timely manner.

FEES

We understand the importance of being clear and transparent from the outset about legal fees to ensure that there are no surprises at any stage.

We achieve this by informing our clients what is and what is not included in the prices we quote.  We keep you informed of which charges may be subject to VAT and, where payments to others (known as disbursements) may be required together with what these fees are likely to be. If we provide you with a price range, we will be clear as to the basis of our charges and the types of factors which will determine the final price you will pay.

We will also provide you with an indication as to the typical timescales and key stages involved in progressing matters on your behalf, whilst making it clear what factors may have a bearing on these timescales.

We will also let you know who will be dealing with matters on your behalf, so you have the confidence and reassurance of knowing that they have the necessary skills, expertise and experience needed to ensure that we provide you with an outstanding service.

We welcome the opportunity to discuss your requirements in detail as this will enable us to provide you with pricing options which best suit your needs.

Complaints

We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients.  If you believe something has gone wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to address any potential problems and will help us to improve our standards, something we take very seriously. If at any point you become unhappy with the service we provide to you or you have concerns about your bill, then you should inform us immediately so that we can do our best to resolve the problem for you.

How do I make a complaint?

You can contact us in writing, by letter or email. However, in the first instance, it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues.

If you do not feel able to raise your concerns with that person, or you are unsatisfied with their response, please contact our Managing Director, Dale Lever, whose contact details are:

Lever Law Solicitors

Carter House

Pelaw Leazes Lane

Durham

DH1 1TB

Email: info@leverlaw.co.uk   Telephone: 0191 909 7990

 Please note that we do not accept complaints via fax, through our website or through social media.

To help us to understand your complaint, and in order that we do not miss anything, please tell us:

  • your full name and contact detail
  • what you think we have got wrong
  • what you hope to achieve as a result of your complaint, and
  • your file reference number (if you have it)

If you require any help in making your complaint we will try to help you.

 

How will you deal with my complaint?

We will write to you within three working days acknowledging your complaint, enclosing a copy of this policy.

We will investigate your complaint. This will usually involve:

  • reviewing your complaint
  • reviewing your file(s) and other relevant documents, and
  • speaking with the person who dealt with your matter

We may also need to ask you for further information or documents. If so, we will ask you to provide the information within a specific period of time

We will update you on the progress of your complaint at appropriate times.

We may also, if appropriate, invite you to a meeting to discuss your complaint. You do not have to attend if you do not wish to or if you are unable to. We will be happy to discuss the matter with you on the telephone.

We will write to you at the end of our investigation to tell you what we have done and what we propose to do to resolve your complaint. Where possible, we will aim to do this within 21 days of the date of our letter of acknowledgement.

What if I am not satisfied with the outcome?

If you are unhappy with the outcome of our complaints handling procedure please first let us know and we will review the matter.

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 matter.

Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

  • within 6 months of receiving a final response to your complaint; and
  • no more than 1 year from the date of the act/omission that you are concerned about; or
  • no more than 1 year from when you should have reasonably known there was cause for complaint.

If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please get in touch with them using the following details:
Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9am and 5pm
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Post: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ

The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you 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. You can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority by telephoning: 0370 606 2555; in writing: The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN, DX 720293 BIRMINGHAM 47; visit: www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor; or email: contactcentre@sra.org.uk

 What will it cost?

We will not charge you for handling your complaint.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority and Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.

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