Complaints Policy

Arbor Law is committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service we have provided, then you should inform us immediately so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.

If you feel your concerns might be better addressed by speaking with the Arbor lawyers acting for you, then you should contact them first – please note that doing so is not raising a complaint.

This Complaints Policy sets out how we deal with formal complaints.

Making a complaint about a service issue will not affect how we handle your matter. We will always comply with our regulatory responsibilities.

Once you have made a complaint, we will respond in the manner set out in this Complaints Policy.

What to do if you have a complaint

If you have a complaint, you should write to kate.bennett@arbor.law, daniel.adams@arbor.law or ed.rea@arbor.law or write to:

Arbor Law
Attention: Complaints
118 Pall Mall
London, SW1Y 5ED
United Kingdom

Your correspondence should set out the full details of your complaint, including:

  • why you feel dissatisfied with the service which you have received;
  • how you would prefer to be contacted about your complaint; and
  • if there is anything in particular which you would like us to do to resolve your complaint.

You should enclose all relevant correspondence or documentation to support your complaint.

Complaints and conflicts of interest 

As a regulated firm of solicitors, we must comply with our professional rules. These require us not to act where we may find ourselves in a position of a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest would arise in a situation where, on the one hand we have a duty to act in your best interests, and on the other hand our own interests (for example, in light of a complaint raised, it would require us to take a different approach).

This should in no way affect whether you choose to make a complaint. However, you should be aware that there are circumstances where, once you have made a complaint, we may no longer be able to act for you on the matter. In this case, we would let you know and discuss with you how best to proceed, bearing in mind our overriding duty to comply with our professional rules.

Otherwise, please follow the process below.

What will happen once we have received your complaint 

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within seven days of our receipt of the complaint, enclosing a copy of this Complaints Policy.

  • We will log your complaint in our complaint register and investigate your complaint. This will normally involve passing your complaint to an appropriate person in our team, who will independently review your matter file and speak to the relevant individuals, including those named in the complaint.
  • Where we believe a conversation could assist in resolving the complaint, then, within fourteen days of receiving your complaint, we will endeavour to resolve your complaint via a call.
  • Where we speak with you and are unable to resolve your complaint by agreement within twenty-one days or where we do not believe a call would be appropriate, then within six weeks of receiving your complaint, we will write to you with our findings, which may include a suggested solution where appropriate.
  • We will endeavour to provide our final determination letter within eight weeks of receiving your complaint to us.
  • Where it is reasonable to do so, we may increase some of the timescales detailed above. If this is the case, then we will inform you in writing and we shall provide a reasonable explanation as to why we have extended the time periods.

What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint 

In the event that you are not satisfied with our final determination letter, or if we do not resolve your complaint within eight weeks of your contacting us, then the Legal Ombudsman may be able to consider your complaint. There are, however, restrictions to this service, as set out on the Ombudsman’s website.

If we are unable to resolve your complaint, then you can have the complaint independently reviewed by the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints about service issues with lawyers. The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within one year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within one year of you realising there was a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you.

For further information, you can write to the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ or at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk. You can telephone them on 0300 555 0333 between 9:00 and 17:00.

You may also be able to object to our invoice by applying to the court for an assessment under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. If you exercise this right, you could be prevented from making a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. In addition, if you apply to the court for an assessment and if all or part of the bill remains unpaid at the end of that assessment, we are entitled to charge interest. There are strict time limits that apply to this process and you may wish to seek independent legal advice on the issue.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority may be able to help you if you are concerned about our behaviour, for example, if you are concerned about dishonesty, taking or losing money or being treated unfairly because of your age, a disability or another characteristic.

You can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority at www.sra.org.uk.