How to make a complaint
We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. We of course hope that you are happy with our work. If however you wish to make a complaint (which may include a complaint about your bill), the below procedure will ensure that complaints are dealt with promptly, fairly and effectively. Please inform us of any complaint swiftly, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem as soon as possible.
In the first instance it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case or matter to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues at this stage. If you would like to make a formal complaint, please contact our Complaints Manager, Daniel Lowen, on [email protected] or +44(0)20 3865 1000. Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case or matter. Our Complaints Manager will send a response to you acknowledging the complaint within two business days of receiving it. At the same time, we will record the complaint in our central register.
Our Complaints Manager will then start to investigate the complaint. This may involve one or more of the following steps:
- he may ask the member of staff who acted and/or the Matter Partner to prepare a report and send it to you; and/or
- he may invite you to meet with him and/or the member of staff who acted and/or the Matter Partner to discuss and hopefully resolve the complaint; and/or
- he may reply in writing to you about the complaint.
If a meeting takes place, the Complaints Manager will within seven business days of the meeting contact you in writing (which will be entitled “Written Response”) to confirm what took place and any further comments he may have in relation to the complaint.
If a meeting does not take place, the Complaints Manager will respond to your complaint in writing (which will be entitled “Written Response”), and such response will include our suggestions for resolving the matter.
What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour.
Alternatively, the Legal Ombudsman can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case or matter.
*From 1 April 2023*
Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. From 1 April 2023 the Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them:
(a) within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint;
and
(b) no more than one year from the date of the act/omission you are concerned about; or
(c) no more than one year 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.
Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm.
Email: [email protected]
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6167
Slough
SL1 0EH
What if you have a complaint about your bill
If you have a complaint about your bill, you may apply to the Court for an assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974 and/or you may also be able to complain to the Legal Ombudsman (see above). The Legal Ombudsman may not deal with a complaint about a bill if an application has been made to Court.
Mediation Complaints Procedure
It is a requirement of the Civil Mediation Council that all individual regulated mediators must investigate complaints made against them.
HOW TO MAKE A COMPLAINT
We are committed to providing a high-quality mediation service to all our clients. We of course hope that you are happy with our work. If however you wish to make a complaint, the below procedure will ensure that complaints are dealt with promptly, fairly and effectively. Please inform us of any complaint swiftly, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem as soon as possible.
If you would like to make a formal complaint, please contact Liz Coley by emailing [email protected] or by telephone on 020 3865 1000. Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case or matter.
We will send a response to you acknowledging the complaint within 5 business days of receiving it. We will also keep a written record of the complaint.
All complaints will be investigated and responded to within 21 working days of receipt. However, on occasions further time may be required, in which case the complainant will be notified of this in writing.
In the event that the response is not accepted, the complainant can appeal to the Civil Mediation Council in certain specific circumstances. Details of the Civil Mediation Council’s appeal processes can be found here: https://civilmediation.org/for-thepublic/complaints/
Price information
Employment legal services costs
Introduction
This costs information is provided in accordance with the SRA Transparency Rules that require us to provide costs information in relation to advising and representing employees and employers when bringing and defending claims for unfair and wrongful dismissal in the employment tribunal. The guidance below is intended to provide general guidelines with regard to our costs; if you instruct us we will provide you with a fee estimate specific to your matter (which will supersede the information provided below) and accordingly please note that the costs information provided here is a guide and is not a binding quote.
Who will work on your case?
One of Level’s experienced Partners will work on your case. Our team’s details can be found here.
Employment legal services fees
We charge based on an hourly rate which varies depending on the member of staff dealing with your matter. Our lowest hourly rate is £350 and our highest hourly rate is £475 The seniority of the members of staff dealing with your case will depend on its complexity. We will discuss this with you when you instruct us.
Pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal
- Simple case: £5,000-£10,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)
- Medium complexity case: £10,000-£30,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)
- High complexity case: £30,000-£50,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)
Factors that could make a case more complex:
- If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing claim
- Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person
- Making or defending a costs application, deposit or strike out
- Complex preliminary issues such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties)
- The number of witnesses and extensive documents (such as emails and attachments)
- If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. if you are dismissed after blowing the whistle on your employer
- Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal
- The number of days required for a full hearing or preliminary hearing
- Counterclaims brought by the employer against the employee In wrongful dismissal claims
There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing of between £1,000 - £2,500 per day (excluding VAT, charged at 20%). Generally, we would allow 1-4 days depending on the complexity of your case.
Disbursements
In addition to costs above, you will incur costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees, barrister fees or copying charges (“disbursements”). We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
A barrister or “Counsel” will charge fees estimated between £1,500 to £10,000 for the initial brief fee excluding VAT, charged at 20% (depending on the experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation). Thereafter the barrister will charge for each extra day of the hearing at refresher rate which is typically between £750 to £3,000 plus VAT per refresher day. Fees are also charged by barristers for any additional advice and rates depend upon the barrister's seniority and experience.
Key stages
The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of a claim:
- Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on merits and likely compensation (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and subject to change)
- Pre-claim correspondence with your opponent;
- Entering into pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached;
- Preparing a claim or response
- Reviewing and advising on claim or response from the other party
- Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
- preparing or considering a schedule of loss
- Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing
- Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing on a bundle of documents
- Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing on their content with witnesses
- Preparing bundle of documents
- Reviewing and advising on the other party's witness statements
- Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
- Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel
The stages set out above are an indication and if some of the stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged on your individual needs.
The fee range quoted above will not include:
- Any judicial or other formal mediation.
- Giving any tax or pensions advice or insurance advice.
- Advising and representing in relation to any appeal.
How long will my matter take?
The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take 1-6 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 6 – 8 months. This is just an estimate and we will be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses. It is likely to take longer than this for cases requiring two or more days at the final hearing and/or any additional hearings. Ultimately the timetable is dictated by Tribunal availability and the complexity of the case.
Additional Information
- The unfair dismissal price range applies to claims which are for unfair dismissal only. We can provide cost estimates on request for additional claims such as discrimination.
- The above price range for wrongful dismissal cases applies to wrongful dismissal/breach of contract claims in the employment tribunal only (maximum compensation £25,000) and does not apply to wrongful dismissal claims in the civil courts where there is no limit to any award.
- Costs are generally not recoverable in the employment tribunal except in exceptional circumstances and so each party will be assumed to be responsible for its own costs.
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