Complaints

At Watkins Solicitors, we take complaints seriously and see them as an important opportunity to listen, put things right where we can, and improve our service.

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 then we would encourage you to inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.

Raising a complaint will not affect how we act for you, and there is no charge for making a complaint. This page explains how to raise a concern, what will happen next, and what options are available if you remain unhappy.

Data protection complaints

If your complaint relates to how we have handled your personal information, this will be dealt with as a data protection complaint.

Please see the Data Protection Complaints section of our Privacy Policy for details of how to raise this type of complaint, what information to include, and how we will respond.

The Privacy Policy explains how we handle data protection complaints.

Complaints - Who to contact

In the first instance, please contact the advisor who is working on your case to discuss your concerns, and we will do our best to resolve any issues. If you still have queries or concerns, please contact Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner.

You can send your complaint by email to: info@watkinssolicitors.co.uk

Please include “For the Attention of Beverley Watkins - Complaint” in the subject line.

Or write to us at:
For the Attention of Beverley Watkins
Watkins Solicitors
192 North Street
Bedminster
Bristol BS3 1JF

If you would prefer to speak to someone first, you can call 0117 939 0350 and ask for your message to be passed to Beverley Watkins.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to raise your complaint, for example due to disability, language needs, or health concerns, please let us know. We will do our best to support you.

What to include

To help us investigate your complaint promptly and fairly, it is helpful if you can include:

Your full name and contact details
The name of the person who acted for you, if known
Your file reference number, if you have it
Information about what you are unhappy about and when it happened
What you would like to happen to resolve the matter

You can raise a complaint by email, letter, telephone, or in a meeting. We recommend setting out the details in writing where possible, as this helps avoid misunderstandings.

Our complaints process and timescales

Step 1: Raising your complaint. Please contact us using the details above. We will confirm who is dealing with your complaint. If you have not already done so, please let us know the full nature of the problem.
Step 2: Acknowledgement. Beverley Watkins (or an appointed member of the team) will acknowledge your complaint within five working days and explain the next steps.
Step 3: Investigation. We will review your file and speak to the staff involved within ten working days of acknowledging your complaint. If the investigation cannot be completed within this timeframe, we will write to you explaining why and provide a revised timescale.
Step 4: Our response. Once the investigation has been completed, our Complaints Handling Representative shall invite you to a meeting to discuss the issue(s) raised and hopefully resolve the complaint. This could be a meeting, video conference call or telephone call and your preference will be taken into account along as well as how best the matter may be dealt with. This will usually take place within ten working days of concluding our investigation. Following any discussion, we will write to you within five working days to confirm what was agreed and any proposed resolution.
If a discussion is not required, or you would prefer to correspond in writing, we will send a detailed written response within fifteen working days of concluding our investigation. This will set out our findings and any steps we propose to resolve your complaint.
Step 5: Review if you remain unhappy. If you are satisfied, this will be the end of the matter. If you are not satisfied with our response, please contact Beverley Watkins again. We will review the matter and, where appropriate, another Partner (or member of the team) will review the decision. We will write to you within ten working days of receiving your request, confirming the firm’s final position, the reasons and any final offer of redress.

Legal Ombudsman

Clients must always try complaining to us first. In most cases they will not be able to take their complaint further without allowing us the opportunity to put things right.

We are permitted a period of eight weeks to consider the complaint. If for any reason we are unable to resolve the problem between us within that timeframe, then our clients are advised that they may ask the Legal Ombudsman to consider the complaint.

If we have not resolved your complaint within that time, or if you have received our final response and remain unhappy, you may be able to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.

Clients are free to refer any complaint about our work, fees or level of service but there are some conditions and time limits.

A complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must usually be made:

Within six months of the date of our final written response, and
Within one year of the act or omission complained about, or one year from when you should reasonably have known there were grounds for complaint

Legal Ombudsman contact details:

Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Address: PO Box 6167, Slough SL1 0EH
Website: legalombudsman.org.uk

Solicitors Regulation Authority

We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). We are committed to high quality legal advice and client care and aim to offer all our clients an efficient and effective service. However, if our clients would like to discuss how the service to them could be improved, the level of their bill, or should there be any aspect of our service with which they are not satisfied, we ask them to please contact the person in our firm responsible for complaints handling: Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner: bw@watkinssolicitors.co.uk / 01179390350.If your complaint is in relation to the conduct of our Complaints Handling Representative, we will make alternative arrangements for the investigation and handling of your complaint.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regulates solicitors and law firms. The SRA can help where there are concerns about professional conduct, such as dishonesty, serious misconduct, or discrimination.

If you think a solicitor might be dishonest or you have concerns about their ethics or integrity, you have the right to notify our regulator, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). There are no time limits for making a report but there are limits on what the SRA will consider.

Please note that the SRA is not able to deal with issues of poor service (complaints of this nature should instead be referred to the Legal Ombudsman).

SRA contact details:

Telephone: 0370 606 2555
Address: The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham B1 1RN
Website: SRA Reporting a solicitor or firm to us Solicitors Regulation Authority

Our commitment to you

We understand that raising a complaint can feel difficult, particularly when you may already be dealing with a stressful situation. We will treat you with courtesy, take your concerns seriously, and keep you informed throughout the process.