Complaints Procedure

What happens when you first complain?

Your Cases Manager will always try to resolve your concerns there and then. If this is not possible, your complaint will be escalated to their Team Leader who will fully investigate all the issues you have raised and aim to resolve them as quickly as they can, by speaking with you or writing to you.

Our Team Leader’s aim to have a response for you by the end of the next business working day; sometimes though it may take a little longer to investigate and therefore resolve matters – if this is the case, they will keep you updated on their progress and provide anticipated timescales for a response – which will be within eight weeks of you raising the complaint.

Contact us

You can contact us by either using the contact details that you have already or using the following contact details:

Our Head Office:
17 Beaufort Court, Admirals Way, London E14 9XL
Tel: +44 (0)20 8914 8317
Fax: +44 (0)20 8914 8318

Our Corporate Office:
9 Caxton House, Broad Street, Cambridge CB23 6JN
Tel: +44 (0)1954 266030
Fax: +44 (0)1954 710254

By Email:
[email protected]

What can you do if you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint?

We want to be able to resolve your concerns. If you consider that our initial formal response to your complaint still does not fully address your issues, please let us know. Your complaint will then be reviewed and investigated by a member of our Senior Management Team.

Ultimately, it may be that we issue a ‘Full & Final Response’ letter and this should be issued no later than eight weeks from the point of any escalated complaint being received.

Escalation and redress referral routes

If our Full & Final response does not provide the satisfaction or closure you sought, you have the right to refer your complaint to the appropriate professional body.

Professional bodies

Financial Ombudsman Service

If the subject matter of the complaint concerns our actions surrounding the quotation and/or arrangement of either Missing Beneficiary Indemnity insurance and/or Missing Will insurance your right of referral is to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

You have six months from the date of our Full and Final Response to refer your complaint to them.

Telephone numbers:
0800 0 234 567 or 0300 123 9 123

Email:
[email protected]

Post:
The Financial Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
London
E14 9SR

For further information on the scope of the Financial Ombudsman Service please refer to their website http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/

Professional Paralegal Register

Should you remain dissatisfied following the APR’s investigation and mediation then you have the right to refer the matter to the Professional Paralegal Register (PPR).

The membership level of the Cases Manager, and whether a current Paralegal Practicing Certificate is held by them, will determine what the PPR will review, how they will undertake the review and whether there is any available redress potentially available to you as the complainant – should your complaint be upheld by the investigating committee.

Membership Levels:

1. Registered Paralegals — Tier One & Two Holders
The PPR can only review complaints about unprofessional conduct for ‘Registered Paralegals’. Clients do not have access to the PPR Compensation fund.

2. Regulated Paralegals — Tier Three & Four holding a Paralegal Practicing Certificate
The PPR will review complaints about unprofessional conduct and legal services provided by ‘Regulated Paralegals’. Clients have access to the PPR Compensation fund.

All Treethorpe’s employees are a member of the PPR through the Recognised Body, the Association of Probate Researchers (APR).

All complainants that wish to utilise this avenue of further escalation must raise the complaint by using the procedures and forms provided by the PPR through their website: http://ppr.org.uk/consumers/problems-with-a-paralegal/

We will always try to resolve your concerns there and then. If this is not possible, we will fully investigate all the issues you have raised and aim to resolve them as quickly as we can, by speaking with you or writing to you.