Complaints
COMPLAINTS POLICY AND PROCEDURE
Aziz Sinclair Solicitors Ltd
393 Green Street, London, E13 9AU
(Opposite Upton Park Station)
SRA Number: 8010819
Telephone: +44 20 3161 6856 | 020 3391 7376 | 07988 786415
Email (general enquiries): info@azizsinclairsolicitors.co.uk
Email (complaints): info@azizsinclairsolicitors.co.uk
Website: www.azizsinclairsolicitors.com
Policy effective date: 1 November 2025
Next review date: 30 October 2026
1. Purpose and Scope
1.1 This Complaints Policy and Procedure ("the Policy") explains how Aziz Sinclair Solicitors Ltd ("we", "us", "the Firm") receives, investigates, and responds to complaints about the legal services we provide and our charges.
1.2 The Policy has been prepared in compliance with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Standards and Regulations, in particular paragraphs 8.2 to 8.5 of the SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs, RFLs and RSLs and paragraph 7.1(c) of the SRA Code of Conduct for Firms.
1.3 We are committed to:
- Handling complaints promptly, fairly, and free of charge
- Providing clear information about how and when complaints may be made
- Using feedback and learning from complaints to improve our services and client care
- Resolving complaints as close to source and as early as possible
1.4 This Policy applies to complaints from clients, former clients, and (where appropriate and subject to confidentiality and data protection obligations) third parties affected by our services.
2. What is a Complaint?
2.1 A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction—whether oral or written—about our services or our charges that requires a response.
2.2 Complaints may relate to, among other things:
- Delay or failure to progress your matter
- Poor communication or failure to keep you informed
- Quality or accuracy of legal work or advice
- Our fees or billing
- Behaviour, conduct, or professionalism of any member of staff
- Confidentiality or data protection concerns
- Any other aspect of the service we have provided
2.3 Routine requests for updates, clarification of advice, or general queries are not normally treated as formal complaints unless they remain unresolved or give rise to dissatisfaction that requires a formal response.
3. How to Make a Complaint
3.1 We want to make it as easy as possible for you to raise concerns or make a complaint. You may complain:
By email:
info@azizsinclairsolicitors.co.uk
By post:
Complaints Officer
Aziz Sinclair Solicitors Ltd
393 Green Street
London E13 9AU
By telephone:
+44 20 3161 6856 | 020 3391 7376 | 07988 786415
In person:
At our office during normal business hours
3.2 Complaints Officer: Abdul Aziz Khan, Solicitor & Director
3.3 When making a complaint, please provide:
- Your name and contact details
- Your matter or file reference (if known)
- A clear description of what went wrong
- How the issue has affected you
- What outcome or remedy you are seeking
3.4 We will make reasonable adjustments to ensure that our complaints procedure is accessible to all clients, including those with disabilities or communication needs.
4. Informal Resolution
4.1 In many cases, concerns can be resolved quickly and informally by speaking directly to the person handling your matter. You are welcome to raise any concerns with them in the first instance.
4.2 However, you have the right to make a formal complaint at any time, and doing so will not affect the ongoing handling of your matter or any other service we provide to you.
5. Our Formal Complaints Procedure
We will handle formal complaints in accordance with the following stages:
Stage 1 – Acknowledgement
5.1 We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing within 5 working days of receiving it.
5.2 Our acknowledgement will:
- Confirm that we have received your complaint and summarise the issues you have raised
- Identify the person who will be investigating your complaint (usually a senior person not directly involved in the matter complained of, where possible)
- Explain the next steps in our complaints procedure
- Provide an indicative timescale for our response
Stage 2 – Investigation
5.3 We will investigate your complaint thoroughly, fairly, and impartially. This may involve:
- Reviewing your file and relevant documents
- Speaking to the staff member(s) involved
- Seeking explanations and gathering further information
- Where appropriate, offering to meet with you (in person, by telephone, or by video call) to discuss your concerns
5.4 We aim to complete our investigation and issue a final written response within 8 weeks of receiving your complaint.
5.5 If we are unable to provide a final response within 8 weeks (for example, because your complaint is particularly complex or involves third parties), we will write to you to:
- Explain why more time is required
- Provide a revised timescale
- Keep you informed of progress
- Inform you of your right to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman (see Section 6 below)
Stage 3 – Final Written Response
5.6 Our final written response will:
- Set out our findings in relation to each aspect of your complaint
- Explain the reasons for our conclusions
- If we have upheld your complaint (in whole or in part), explain what went wrong and offer an appropriate remedy (see Section 7 below)
- Inform you of your right to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman if you remain dissatisfied, including the time limits for doing so and full contact details for the Legal Ombudsman (see Section 6 below)
6. Escalation to the Legal Ombudsman
6.1 If you are not satisfied with our final response, or if we have not issued a final response within 8 weeks of your complaint, you have the right to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, an independent body that investigates complaints about legal service providers.
6.2 The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them:
- Within six months of the date of our final written response to your complaint; and
- No more than one year from the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned, or no more than one year from the date when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
6.3 Important: The six‑month time limit from our final response only applies if we have included the required information about the Legal Ombudsman prominently in our final written response. We will always include this information in compliance with the Legal Ombudsman Scheme Rules.
6.4 The Legal Ombudsman may use its discretion to extend these time limits in certain circumstances if it considers it fair and reasonable to do so.
6.5 How to contact the Legal Ombudsman:
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6167
Slough
SL1 0EH
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Relay UK (for customers with hearing or speech impairments): 18001 0300 555 0333
6.6 Further information about the Legal Ombudsman, including guidance on how to make a complaint, is available on their website at www.legalombudsman.org.uk.
6.7 Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): If our complaints procedure has been exhausted and we cannot settle your complaint, we will inform you of the name and website address of an alternative ADR approved body competent to deal with your complaint, and whether we agree to use that scheme.
7. Remedies
7.1 If we uphold your complaint (in whole or in part), we will offer an appropriate remedy. Depending on the circumstances, this may include:
- A written apology and explanation of what went wrong
- Remedial work or steps to put matters right, at no additional cost where appropriate
- A reduction, refund, or waiver of fees (where the complaint relates to charges)
- An explanation of the steps we will take to prevent similar issues from occurring in future
- Any other fair and reasonable remedy in the circumstances
7.2 We will agree any proposed remedy with you and, where you accept it, will implement it promptly.
8. Reporting Conduct Concerns to the SRA
8.1 The Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints about the service we have provided. If you have concerns about our conduct—for example, that we or a member of our staff may have breached the SRA Standards and Regulations or acted dishonestly—you may report this separately to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
8.2 How to contact the SRA:
Website: www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor
Email: contactcentre@sra.org.uk
Telephone: 0370 606 2555
8.3 Please note that the SRA does not normally handle service complaints or award compensation. The SRA's role is to regulate solicitors and law firms and to take action where there has been serious professional misconduct.
9. No Charge and No Prejudice
9.1 Making a complaint is free of charge.
9.2 Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your ongoing legal matter (if it is still live), nor will it prejudice any future instructions you may wish to give us.
9.3 All complaints are handled confidentially and in accordance with our obligations under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
10. Learning and Improvement
10.1 We maintain a central complaints register and review all complaints regularly to identify trends, learning points, and opportunities for service improvement.
10.2 We use the outcomes and insights from complaints to:
- Improve training and supervision of staff
- Refine our processes and procedures
- Enhance client communication and care
- Prevent similar issues from arising in future
10.3 Anonymised complaints data and learning outcomes are reviewed by our senior management and Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) as part of our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement.
11. Information About Complaints
11.1 In accordance with SRA requirements, we will provide you with information about how to complain:
- At the time of engagement (in our Client Care Letter or Terms of Business)
- On conclusion of your matter (in our closing letter)
- Upon request at any time during or after your matter
- If you make a complaint during your matter
- If your complaint has not been resolved within 8 weeks, we will write to inform you of your right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman, including time limits and contact details.
11.2 This Complaints Policy is published on our website and is available on request in accessible formats.
12. Policy Ownership and Review
Policy Owner: Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP)
Date of Issue: 1 February 2026
Next Review Date: 1 February 2027
This Policy will be reviewed annually, or sooner if there are changes to the SRA Standards and Regulations, Legal Ombudsman Scheme Rules, or LSB requirements, or if our internal procedures change.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Complaints Policy, or if you wish to make a complaint, please contact:
Abdul Aziz Khan
Solicitor & Director
Complaints Officer
Aziz Sinclair Solicitors Ltd
393 Green Street
London E13 9AU
Email: complaints@azizsinclairsolicitors.co.uk
Telephone: +44 20 3161 6856 | 020 3391 7376 | 07988 786415
14. Regulatory Information
Aziz Sinclair Solicitors Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales.
We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
SRA Number: 8010819
The SRA Standards and Regulations, including the SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors and the SRA Code of Conduct for Firms, are available at www.sra.org.uk.[2][sra.org]
Details of our professional indemnity insurance are available on request.