Our Commitment to You
Our service to you is extremely important to us and we strive to offer our clients a fast, friendly and reliable service for their conveyancing needs. We rely on our good reputation and welcome feedback from our clients to help us continually improve our services.
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service, our conduct, or the way we have handled your personal data, we encourage you to tell us so that we can investigate your concerns and seek to resolve them promptly and fairly.
How to Make a Complaint
Complaints may relate to:
- The legal services we have provided to you;
- The conduct or behaviour of our staff or solicitors;
- The way we have handled your personal information or exercised your data protection rights; or
- A combination of the above.
Clients will have received details of our complaints process within our Client Care Letter at the outset of the transaction. If you require a further copy, please contact us.
Complaints should be directed to either of our Complaints Partners:
Mr Simon Leo
Email: simon@hjlsolicitors.com
Mrs Leigh Roberts
Email: leigh@hjlsolicitors.com
Alternatively, complaints may be submitted in writing to our office address, by email, by telephone, or in person.
To assist us in investigating your complaint, please provide:
- Your name and contact details;
- Details of your complaint;
- The person or matter the complaint relates to;
- Any relevant supporting information or documents; and
- The outcome or resolution you are seeking.
How We Handle Your Complaint
Service and Conduct Complaints
Upon receipt of your complaint, we will:
- Acknowledge receipt of your complaint within five working days.
- Review the information provided and, where necessary, request further information from you.
- Investigate the complaint, including obtaining information from the individual(s) involved.
- Provide a substantive written response as soon as reasonably possible.
We aim to provide a comprehensive response within fifteen working days. In some circumstances, such as where archived files must be retrieved or where the issues are particularly complex, this may take longer. If this is the case, we will keep you informed of progress.
We aim to conclude our investigation and provide our final response within eight weeks of receiving your complaint.
Data Protection Complaints
We are committed to protecting personal data and complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
If your complaint concerns the collection, use, storage, retention, disclosure, security or other processing of your personal information, or the handling of a data protection request, we will:
- Accept complaints submitted by any reasonable means, including email, letter, telephone or in person.
- Acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 30 calendar days, as required by applicable data protection legislation.
- Investigate the complaint promptly and proportionately, including reviewing relevant records, systems, policies and correspondence.
- Contact you if further information is required to assist our investigation.
- Keep you informed of progress where the investigation remains ongoing.
- Provide a written outcome without undue delay, including details of any findings and any corrective action taken.
- Maintain appropriate records of the complaint, investigation and outcome.
Where a complaint concerns both the legal service provided and the handling of personal data, we may investigate both aspects together where appropriate, whilst ensuring compliance with our obligations under data protection legislation.
If You Remain Dissatisfied
Legal Ombudsman
If you are not satisfied with our final response regarding the service we have provided, you may refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman for independent review.
You must normally refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:
- Within six months of our final written response to your complaint;
- No more than six years from the date of the act or omission complained of; and
- No more than three years from the date when you should reasonably have known there were grounds for complaint.
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 686
Wolverhampton
WV1 9WJ
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
If you remain dissatisfied with our handling of your personal data or your data protection complaint, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Information Commissioner’s Office
Website: www.ico.org.uk
The ICO will generally expect you to have raised the matter with us first and allowed us a reasonable opportunity to investigate and respond.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) bodies may also be competent to deal with complaints concerning legal services.
ProMediate is a certified ADR provider.
Website: www.promediate.co.uk
Complaints About Professional Conduct
If your concern relates to our conduct rather than the quality of service provided—for example, if you believe that we have acted dishonestly, breached regulatory requirements, discriminated against you, or otherwise failed to comply with professional obligations—you may report the matter to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Cube
199 Wharfside Street
Birmingham
B1 1RN
Telephone: 0370 606 2555
Email: contactcentre@sra.org.uk
Website: www.sra.org.uk
Record Keeping
We maintain records of complaints received, investigations undertaken, outcomes reached and any remedial action taken. These records are retained in accordance with our regulatory and data protection obligations.
Review of this Procedure
This procedure is reviewed periodically to ensure compliance with applicable legal, regulatory and professional requirements, including the SRA Standards and Regulations, UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.