Complaints
Complaints procedure
Chambers is committed to providing a high standard of service in every instruction. If any client is dissatisfied with the service received, they are entitled to raise the matter, and every complaint is treated seriously.
Making a complaint will not affect the handling of your matter, and no charge is made for the handling of a complaint. Complaints are treated in confidence, and a record is kept of every complaint received and its outcome.
Wherever possible, concerns raised during a matter will be addressed immediately and informally. Where that is not possible, or where you prefer, the formal procedure below applies.
Stage One · Complaint to Chambers
Raising a complaint in writing
Please set out your complaint in writing by email to info@zakir-hussain.com, marked Complaint, including:
- Your name and contact details
- The matter to which the complaint relates
- A clear description of your concern
- What you would like to happen as a result
Your complaint will be acknowledged in writing within two working days of receipt. A full written response will be provided within fourteen days. Where the complaint is complex, or further information is required, you will be informed of the revised timescale and the reason for it, and a full response provided within twenty-eight days.
The written response will set out the outcome of the review of your complaint, the reasons for it, and any proposed resolution.
Stage Two · The Legal Ombudsman
Independent review of service complaints
If you are unhappy with the outcome of the chambers procedure, and you are eligible under its scheme rules, you may refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, the independent body established to consider complaints about the service provided by legal professionals in England and Wales.
The Legal Ombudsman applies strict time limits. Ordinarily, a complaint must be referred no later than six months from the date of the final written response from chambers, and within one year of the act or omission complained about, or within one year of when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
Website
Telephone
0300 555 0333
Professional Conduct
Concerns about the professional conduct of a barrister, as distinct from the service provided, may be raised with the Bar Standards Board, the regulator of barristers in England and Wales, at www.barstandardsboard.org.uk.