We want to give you the best possible service. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service we have provided to you then you should inform us immediately so that we can do our best to resolve the problem for you. We will carefully consider any complaint you may make about our probate or estate administration work as soon as we receive it and do all we can to resolve it. Please let us know by contacting Jennifer Iles, the firm’s Head of Legal Practice in a licensed firm.
We will acknowledge your letter within five business days of its receipt and endeavour to deal with it within 28 days. If we do not deal with your complaint in this time, or if you are unhappy with our response, you may of course take up the matter with the ICAEW or Legal Ombudsman.
ICAEW
Before you make a complaint to ICAEW:
1. Please check the accountant or accountancy firm is registered with ICAEW. The accountant must be an ICAEW Chartered Accountant, an affiliate of ICAEW, an ACA student or an ICAEW CFAB student. To check if the firm is an ICAEW firm, please visit membersearch.icaew.com. If your issue relates to an insolvency or probate matter, you will need to follow a different process. Please visit www.icaew.com/complaints for details.
2. Please ensure that you have copies of any relevant supporting letters and other documents, and send them to us when you contact us about your complaint. We may not be able to help you if you don’t have documentary evidence to support your allegation.
How to make a complaint:
You should complete the complaint form at www.icaew.com/complaints and either email it to complaints@icaew.com or send it to:
ICAEW (Professional Conduct department)
Metropolitan House
321 Avebury Boulevard
Milton Keynes
MK9 2FZ
Tel: 01908 248 250
Legal Ombudsman
If we are unable to resolve the complaint with you then you can have the complaint independently looked at by the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman investigates problems about poor service from accountants.
Before accepting a complaint for investigation the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:
- Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint and
- No more than six years from the date of act/omission; or
- No more than three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman please contact them:
www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Tel: 03005550333 (between 9am to 5pm)
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Address: Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV19WJ
Probate Compensation Scheme Arrangements
In the unlikely event that we cannot meet our liabilities to you, you may be able to seek a grant from ICAEW’s Probate Compensation Scheme. Our professional indemnity insurance cover is £5m. Generally, applications for a grant must be made to ICAEW within 12 months of the time you became aware, or reasonably ought to have become aware, of the loss.
To accord with requirements of the Legal Services act 2007, this scheme is available for clients of firms accredited for probate by ICAEW who can apply for compensation if they have suffered a loss that was in consequence of fraud or dishonesty, or a failure to account for money that was received by an accredited probate firm. There are certain limits on how much can be paid out and in what circumstances, full details can be found on www.icaew.com. To apply please email claire.phillips@icaew.com.