Client Care

Sheridans aims to provide a professional and satisfactory service to all its clients and to encourage them to instruct the firm again. However, sometimes while work is being undertaken for a client, the client may have a concern or a complaint which needs to be addressed and resolved.

We aim to keep clients fully informed about their matters and deal speedily with any communication issues. Nevertheless, occasionally a client may have a concern or complaint which needs to be investigated and responded to formally. This document explains how we deal with such concerns and complaints. 

We aim to keep clients fully informed about their matters and deal speedily with any communication issues. Nevertheless, occasionally a client may have a concern or complaint which needs to be investigated and responded to formally. This document explains how we deal with such concerns and complaints. 

  1. When you became a client of the firm you were informed of the name of the lawyer(s) acting for you and the terms on which the firm accepts instructions. You were also advised of whom you could approach if you had any concerns.
  2. In the first instance, you should approach the lawyer handling your matter to see if you can jointly resolve your concerns. If that is not possible, you should contact the firm’s Client Care Partner, which you can do by using this email address: clientcare@sheridans.co.uk. The firm’s Client Care Partner will then investigate your concern or complaint and speak to the lawyer who has been acting for you.  
  3. The Client Care Partner will ask you to summarise your concerns or complaint in writing. You may also be asked to indicate the outcome you would like or expect to achieve from the process.
  4. When the Client Care Partner receives your written complaint, they will generally write to you acknowledging receipt of it within three working days. In many cases a meeting or a telephone call may be the most appropriate approach to dealing with the issues you have raised. In other situations a different approach may be required. In either case, we aim to resolve all concerns and complaints within 21 days of receipt of the written summary. Every complaint will be assessed and considered in light of the facts and the particular circumstances relating to it.
  5. At this stage, if you are not satisfied that your concerns or complaint has been addressed, you should inform us of that. We may then arrange for the firm’s Managing Partner to review the Client Care Partner’s decision.
  6. We will write to you within 14 days of receiving your request for a review of the Client Care Partner’s decision, stating the firm’s final position regarding your concerns or complaint.
  7. If you are still not satisfied, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 OEH about your concerns or complaint. The time limit for referring a complaint to LeO will be not later than one year from the date:
  • of the act or omission being complained about; or
  • when the complainant should have realised that there was cause for complaint.

LeO will have discretion to accept out-of-time complaints in circumstances where it deems it “fair and reasonable to do so”.

For further information you should contact the Legal Ombudsman on 0300 555 0333, by email to  enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk or via the Ombudsman’s website at www.legalombudsman.org.uk/

  1. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) may be able to assist you if you are concerned about a lawyer’s or the firm’s conduct. You can raise your concerns at any time with the SRA. The SRA’s postal address is The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN, Tel no: 0370 606 2555, Email: report@sra.org.uk
  2. If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.
  3. The Client Care Partner logs all concerns and complaints reported to them.
  4. We will deal with all concerns and complaints promptly, fairly and free-of-charge.