Complaints

We are 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.

Our Complaints Procedure

If you have a complaint about our service or a bill that we have rendered or both, please contact us with the details.  The person to contact is:

Mr. Faruk Mulla

Fairmont Legal Ltd
Unity House
Fletcher Street
Bolton
BL3 6NE

Tel: 01204 866597
Email: [email protected]

What will happen next?

1. We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 7days of us receiving the complaint, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
2. We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to Mr Faruk Mulla who will review your file and speak to the member of staff who acted for you.
3. Mr Faruk Mulla will then invite you to a meeting to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. This will be done within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
4. Within 5 days of the meeting, Mr Faruk Mulla will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions he has agreed with you.
5. If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible, Mr Faruk Mulla will send you a detailed written reply to your complaint, including his suggestions for resolving the matter, within 5 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
6. At this stage, if you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for another or someone unconnected with the matter at the practice to review the decision.
7. We will write to you within 10 days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our reasons.
8. If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.
9. If you are still not satisfied, you can then contact the Legal Ombudsman at:
   PO Box 6806
   Wolverhampton
   WV1 9WJ
   Tel: 0300 555 0333 or 0121 245 3050
   Email: [email protected]

There are time limits within which complaints must be made to the Legal Ombudsman, as indicated below.

Generally speaking, your complaint should be made to the Ombudsman no later than 12 months from when the problem occurred or from when you should reasonably have become aware of the problem.

Additionally, you should make your complaint to the Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final response from us following the complaint that you have made to us.

Normally, your complaint needs to fall inside both rules if the Ombudsman is going to investigate it.

You also need to be aware that the Ombudsman only deals with complaints from the following:

• an enterprise which, at the time that the complaint is made, is a micro-enterprise within the meaning of arts.1, 2(1) and (3) of the Annex to Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC, as that Recommendation had effect at the date it was adopted;
• a charity with an annual income net of tax of less than £1 million at the time at which the complainant refers the complaint to the respondent;
• a club, association or organisation, the affairs of which are managed by its members or a committee or committees of its members, with an annual income net of tax of less than £1 million at the time at which the complainant refers the complaint to the respondent;
• a trustee of a trust with an asset value of less than £1 million at the time at which the complainant refers the complaint to the respondent;
• a personal representative of an estate of a person; or
• a beneficiary of an estate of a person.

In addition to directing a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman (LEO) you will be able to refer your dispute for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). If required, we will provide contact details for mediation services upon request.

You also have the right to make a report to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in the event the your complaint relates to;

• A breach of a Principle of the SRA Standards and Regulations 2019 and/or;
• Allegations of dishonesty or discrimination.

To make a report see http://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor.page or contact the SRA at

Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Cube
199 Wharfside Street
Birmingham
B1 1RN
Tel : 0370 606 2555

Further information is available on the SRA website.