We value our business and do not wish you to have any reason to be unhappy with us. We are confident in providing a high quality service. It is therefore important that you raise any concerns you may have with us immediately so that we may address them. This will help us to improve our standards.

M&S Solicitors is committed to providing a high standard of legal service to all our clients. If you are unhappy with any aspect of the service you have received, or with our bill, we want to hear from you. We will deal with all complaints promptly, fairly, and free of charge.

What Is a Complaint?

A complaint is any oral or written expression of dissatisfaction with the service we have provided, including our charges, the conduct of your matter, or the behaviour of any member of staff.

How to Make a Complaint

You can submit your complaint in any of the following ways:

• In writing (post): M&S Solicitors, 12 Longleat Way, Feltham, Middlesex, TW14 8JW, England
• By email: consult@mandssolicitors.com
• By telephone: 020 8819 7075
• In person: At our office, by appointment

Please provide your full name, contact details, matter reference number (if known), a clear description of your complaint, and what outcome you are seeking.

Our Complaints Handling Process

Stage 1 — Acknowledgement

We will acknowledge your complaint in writing within 3 working days of receiving it. Our acknowledgement will confirm:

• That your complaint has been received and recorded on our central complaints register
• The name and contact details of the person handling your complaint (our designated Complaints Handler)
• An outline of the next steps and expected timeline

Stage 2 — Investigation

Your complaint will be thoroughly investigated by our designated Complaints Handler, who will:

• Review all relevant files, correspondence, and records
• Speak with the fee earner(s) involved where necessary
• Assess the complaint objectively and impartially

We may contact you during this stage to seek further information or clarification. We aim to complete our investigation within 4 weeks of acknowledging your complaint.

Stage 3 — Director Review

Before issuing our formal response, the outcome of the investigation will be reviewed by a Director of the firm to ensure it is fair, thorough, and properly reasoned.

Stage 4 — Written Response

We will send you a full written response within 8 weeks of first receiving your complaint. This response will:

• Explain what we have investigated and how we reached our conclusion
• Confirm whether your complaint has been upheld, partly upheld, or not upheld — and why
• Set out any remedy or redress we are offering, where appropriate (e.g. apology, reduction in fees, corrective action)
• Confirm your right to escalate the matter if you remain dissatisfied

If we are unable to provide a final response within 8 weeks, we will write to you to explain the reasons and provide a revised timeline.

Stage 5 — Escalation to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO)

If you are not satisfied with our final response, or if your complaint has not been resolved within 8 weeks, you have the right to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) — an independent body that resolves complaints about legal service providers.

Before contacting the LeO, you must first go through our internal complaints procedure.

You must refer your complaint to the LeO within 6 months of the date of our final response to your complaint, and within 1 year of the act or omission you are complaining about (or within 1 year of when you should reasonably have known there was cause to complain).

Legal Ombudsman contact details:

Telephone: 0300 555 0333

Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Post: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough  SL1 0EH

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm

Stage 6 — Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)

The Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints about the service provided by a solicitor. If your concerns relate to solicitor misconduct — such as dishonesty, misuse of funds, or breach of professional rules — you can report this to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA):

Telephone: 0370 606 2555

Website: www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems

Post: Solicitors Regulation Authority, The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN

Complaints About Our Bill

If you have a concern specifically about our bill, you may also have the right to apply to the court for an assessment of the bill under the Solicitors Act 1974 (ss. 70–72). Please be aware that the LeO may not consider a complaint about a bill if you have already applied to the court.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

As an alternative to the Legal Ombudsman, you also have the right to refer your complaint to an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider. We are happy to provide you with further information about available ADR schemes on request.

Our Commitment

• All complaints are handled free of charge
• All complaints are recorded on our central complaints register and reviewed regularly to identify trends and drive service improvements
• We treat all complaints with confidentiality and respect
• We use feedback from complaints to improve our services

Contact Our Complaints Handler

If you have any questions about this procedure, or wish to make a complaint, please contact:

Hina Mir
Complaints Handler
M&S Solicitors
12 Longleat Way, Feltham, Middlesex, TW14 8JW, England
020 8819 7075
hina@mandssolicitors.com

This procedure was last reviewed: April 2026