Raising a complaint
If you feel you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the service provided, including the fees charged, or if you are not satisfied with the way your enquiry about getting advice was handled you should take this up first with Colina Greenway at our registered address.
If matters cannot be resolved informally Colina has a formal complaints procedure, a copy of which is available to download below. We will try to resolve any complaint within 8 weeks.
Complaint resolution with the Legal Ombudsman or Solicitor’s Regulation Authority
Legal Ombudsman
If you are a private individual or a small business, charity, club or trust, you may be eligible to ask the Legal Ombudsman to help resolve your complaint if you have already made a complaint under Colina Greenway’s formal complaints procedure about the service you have received and are not satisfied with the outcome, or you have not received a response within 8 weeks of making a formal complaint.
The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within one year of the date of the act or omission you are concerned about, or within one year of you realising there was a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within 6 months of our final response to you under our complaints procedure.
If your complaint relates to a bill that we have sent you, you may have the right to apply to the court for an assessment under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. However the Legal Ombudsman may decline to become involved in resolution of a complaint about fees if the bill has already been referred to the court for assessment.
The Legal Ombudsman’s address is P.O. Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ. The Legal Ombudsman can also be contacted by telephone on 0300 555 0333 (+44 121 245 3050 if calling from outside the UK) or email at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk.
More information about the service offered by the Legal Ombudsman is available on their website, visit www.legalombudsman.org.uk.
Solicitors Regulation Authority
Colina Greenway is regulated by the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority (SRA). While the Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints about service quality, if you think that your case involves a breach of the regulatory principles that apply to solicitors and solicitors firms—for example the obligations to act with integrity and treat everyone fairly then you can complain direct to the SRA.
Guidance on how to lodge a complaint with the SRA is available on its website. The SRA’s address is Solicitors Regulation Authority, The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN its and telephone number is 0370 606 2555, or +44 (0) 121 329 6800 if you are calling from outside the UK.