*Last updated 18 June 2026
We want to give you the best possible service. If something goes wrong, please tell us as soon as you can so we can try to put things right. Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your matter.
How to make a complaint
We will acknowledge your complaint promptly, investigate it fairly and impartially, and explain the outcome in writing. We will:
Look into your complaint promptly, deal with it fairly and put things right if something has gone wrong.
Learn from any mistakes and take action to help prevent them happening again.
Not charge you for investigating your complaint.
Raise it with us if you are a client (including a beneficiary of an estate/trust administration we are working on.
Making a complaint will not normally affect any work we are carrying out for you.
If you are unhappy with any aspect of our service, including your bill, please contact the person working on your matter as soon as you are aware there is a problem. If you do not feel able to discuss your concerns with them, please contact the person responsible for the overall supervision of your matter (their details are on your engagement letter). If this does not resolve the issue, you can make a formal complaint using the details below:
Senior Risk & Compliance Officer
Risk & Compliance Department
Wilkin Chapman Rollits
Cartergate House
26 Chantry Lane
Grimsby
DN31 2LJ
To help us understand and investigate your complaint, please provide the information below. We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days of receiving it. We will need:
Your full name and contact details
If you know it, you can find out your reference number (this can usually be found in the top left-hand corner of letters that we send to you)
What issues you would like us to address
Email: [email protected]
What happens next
We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days of receiving it.
We will record your complaint and assign it to an appropriate person to investigate.
We will investigate your complaint by reviewing your file and relevant documents and, where appropriate, speaking with the people involved. We will provide our final response in writing as soon as possible and, in any event, within 8 weeks of our acknowledgement (unless we agree to a different timescale with you).
If your complaint relates to events some time ago, please raise it with us as soon as possible. We will not normally consider a complaint about a problem which took place over 6 months ago. If we cannot resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you may be able to take it to the Legal Ombudsman (see below). The Legal Ombudsman has time limits for accepting complaints.
If we cannot resolve your complaint
Legal Ombudsman
The Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your matter. You should normally bring your complaint to us first and allow us up to 8 weeks to respond. If your matter is funded by legal expenses insurance, the Legal Ombudsman usually considers complaints about our legal service, whereas complaints about the insurer’s cover/claims handling are generally dealt with through the insurer’s complaints process and (where eligible) the Financial Ombudsman Service.
The Legal Ombudsman’s service is generally available to individuals and, in some circumstances, to small businesses, charities, clubs/associations and trustees. Eligibility depends on the type of client and (for some organisations) size/financial thresholds. The Legal Ombudsman can confirm whether they are able to accept your complaint.
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6167,
Slough,
SL1 0EH
Switchboard: 0300 555 0333 Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Calls to the Legal Ombudsman are recorded and may be used for training and monitoring purposes. Calls to 03 numbers cost no more than calls to 01 or 02 numbers from mobiles and landlines.
Time limits: The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within one year of the date of the act or omission being complained about, or within one year of when you should have realised that there was cause for complaint. You must also refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of the date of our final written response to your complaint.
Matters funded by legal expenses insurance
If your matter is funded under a legal expenses insurance policy (for example, cover included with motor, home or landlord insurance), there may be more than one organisation involved in dealing with a complaint. The right route depends on what your complaint is about.
Complaints about our legal service (for example, delay, communication, advice, or how we have handled your matter) should be raised with us using this complaints procedure. If we cannot resolve your complaint, you may be able to refer it to the Legal Ombudsman (see above).
Complaints about the insurer’s decisions or policy administration (for example, cover being declined, limits of indemnity, “reasonable prospects” decisions, delays by the insurer, or whether you can choose your own solicitor under the policy) should usually be made to the insurer first, following the insurer’s own complaints process. If you are unhappy with the insurer’s final response (or they do not respond within the required timeframe), you may be able to refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates insurers and other financial services firms, but it does not generally investigate or resolve individual disputes or award compensation. Complaints about an insurer are generally handled through the insurer’s complaints process and (where eligible) the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Complaints about personal data and data protection
If your complaint relates specifically to how we have handled your personal data, your information rights, or compliance with data protection law, we have a separate procedure for dealing with data subject complaints. Please let us know if your complaint concerns data protection so that we can ensure it is handled under the appropriate procedure. A copy of that procedure can be found on our website.
Complaints about your bill
If you are unhappy with your bill, you may have a right under sections 70–72 of the Solicitors Act 1974 to ask the court to assess the bill. This is separate from our complaints procedure. The Legal Ombudsman may be unable to consider complaints about a bill if you have already applied to the court for assessment.
If all or part of the bill remains unpaid, we have the right to charge interest on it.
The Legal Ombudsman may not deal with a complaint about your bill if you have already applied for an assessment by the Court.
Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regulates solicitors and law firms in England and Wales. The SRA does not usually deal with complaints about poor service (these are for the Legal Ombudsman). However, you can report a solicitor or firm to the SRA if you have concerns about professional conduct, for example dishonesty, misuse of client money, discrimination, or serious breaches of the SRA’s rules. Our SRA number is 509655.
To report concerns to the SRA, contact:
The Cube
199 Wharfside Street
Birmingham
B1 1RN
Telephone: 0870 66 2555
Email: [email protected]
Accessibility support
We are committed to ensuring that our complaints process is accessible and that reasonable adjustments are made, where appropriate, to meet the needs of clients and complainants with accessibility needs. Where you inform us that you require a reasonable adjustment, we will consider your needs and take such steps as are reasonable in the circumstances. This may include, for example, providing information in an alternative format, allowing additional time, or agreeing an alternative method of communication, or making other suitable arrangements to assist you in raising or pursuing your complaint.
If English is not your first language, or if you would prefer to communicate in another language, please let us know. We will consider what reasonable steps may be taken to assist, which may include providing information in a way that is easier for you to understand or discussing appropriate arrangements to support communication during the complaints process.
Managing unreasonable or unacceptable behaviour
We understand that people may be stressed or upset when making a complaint. We will always try to deal with you respectfully and professionally. We also have a duty to protect the safety and welfare of our staff and other clients. If we consider behaviour to be unreasonable or unacceptable, we may take proportionate steps to manage contact while continuing to deal with the substance of the complaint where possible.
Examples of behaviour we may consider unreasonable or unacceptable include (this is not an exhaustive list):
Making repeated or excessive contact (for example, frequent calls/emails) that is disproportionate to the issues being raised, or expecting an immediate response where this is not reasonable.
Repeatedly raising issues that we have already addressed, without providing new information.
Refusing to explain what the complaint is about or what outcome you are seeking, or refusing to co-operate with reasonable requests needed to investigate.
Changing the basis of the complaint repeatedly, or including irrelevant material that makes it difficult to investigate the issues.
Recording meetings or conversations without telling the people involved. If you wish to record a call or meeting, please let us know in advance so we can agree appropriate arrangements in line with applicable law and confidentiality obligations.
Using abusive, discriminatory or harassing language, bullying, or making physical or psychological threats.
If we consider behaviour to be unreasonable or unacceptable, we will normally explain our concerns and, where appropriate, warn you before taking any further steps. Depending on the circumstances, we may (for example) ask you to communicate with a nominated person, ask you to use one channel (such as email or letter), place reasonable limits on frequency/length of communications, or in serious cases end a call or suspend contact for a period. Any restrictions will be proportionate and we will still consider the substance of the complaint as far as we reasonably can.
If we think your behaviour towards us in a telephone call is unacceptable, we may end the call without notice.