Complaints Procedure | Berry & Lamberts LLP

Berry & Lamberts LLP is committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all of our clients. When something goes wrong we need you to tell us. This will help us to improve our standards.

1. How to raise a concern

Please raise your concern with the fee-earner handling your matter in the first instance. If you would prefer to speak with someone else, or if the matter is not resolved, please contact our Complaints Partner:

Margaret Ashcombe, Managing Partner
Berry & Lamberts LLP
11 Church Road, TN1 1JA, Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom
Email: [email protected] · Telephone: +44 1892 526344

2. Our process

We will acknowledge your complaint in writing within 3 working days of receipt.
We will investigate — this normally involves reviewing your file and speaking with the fee-earner responsible.
Within 21 days we will invite you to a meeting (in person, by telephone or by video) to discuss and, where possible, resolve your complaint.
Within 8 weeks we will send you a written final response, setting out our findings and any proposed resolution.

3. Legal Ombudsman

If you are not satisfied with our final response — or if we have not resolved your complaint within 8 weeks — you may ask the Legal Ombudsman to look into your complaint. You must normally do so within:

Six months of our final written response; and
One year from the act or omission complained about, or one year from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6167, Slough SL1 0EH
0300 555 0333 · [email protected] · legalombudsman.org.uk

4. Solicitors Regulation Authority

If your complaint concerns our professional conduct — for example dishonesty, discrimination or breach of the SRA Principles — you may report it directly to the SRA at sra.org.uk/consumers/problems.

5. Alternative dispute resolution

Alternative complaints bodies (such as ProMediate — promediate.co.uk) exist which are competent to deal with legal-service complaints. We do not, however, agree to use those schemes; the Legal Ombudsman is our designated ADR body.