To: Legal.LSC@legalservices.gov.uk Legal LSC
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 17:36:13 +0100
Subject: Re: Your e-mail
Hi,
thank you very much for your answer.
I will now try to summarise the corespondce I've been having with you and
Simon Williams from the Legal Complaints Service.
Simon Williams (The Legal Complaints Service) says that I should contact the
LSC to complain about
a duty solicitor.
And you (The LSC) are saying that I should contact The Legal Complaints
Service to complain about
a duty solicitor.
So I'm not sure how to conclude this summary.
Could you please confirm again who I should contact if I want to formally
complain about poor service
and uprofessional conduct from a law-firm in connection with the duty
solicitors scheme.
Because Simon Williams from The Legal Complaints Service is writing this in
a letter from 26/9:
'Here, a meeting under the duty solicitors programme is unlikely to be
something done under a retainer
(that is, a relationship between solicitor and client), as duty solicitors
are those who provide assistance
to those who are without representation
[...]
As you are not a client of EAD, this office is unable to consider your
complaint. I will, therefore, take
steps to close this file'.
So it's obvious that the Legal Complaints Service aren't looking at
complaints against law-firms in
connection to the duty solicitors scheme.
Williams, write in an e-mail from 2/10:
' *Q2: If not, then who is it one are supposed to complain to, about poor
service/unprofessional* *conduct, by law-firms, in connection with the Dury
Solicitors scheme?*
I have looked into this matter and would suggest that you refer to this
website:
http://www.legalservices.gov.uk/aboutus/regions/liverpool_information.asp
It contains information and contact details of the Merseyside Duty
Solicitors scheme and I hope that you will find it useful.
I should also note that the Legal Services Commission is an organisation
wholly separate from the Law Society and, if you have any specific questions
in relation to the procedures, you should direct them to the LSC, rather
than our Office.'.
So he's saying that the LCS should deal with the complaint.
Is this correct?
Who could I ask for advice/help regarding this, since I'm being in a way
'thrown around' here, from one organisation to the
other.
Also, you are writing that:
'In regards to our customer-helpline, it is more than likely that there
was a miscommunication or misunderstanding between you and my colleague
as a list of law firms can be accessed easily through a search on the
CLS Legal Adviser Directory.'.
So you are writing that since you have an online directory, then it can't be
something wrong
in regards to your customer-helpline's advice.
I can't see that it's an excuse for giving wrong advice (giving me the
phone-numbers to law-firms
in Wales), I can't see that this can be excused by you also having an online
directory.
What is the point of having a customer-helpline, if one can't trust the
advice?
Since like you are writing, you also have an online directory, so this fact
means that any mistakes
the helpline makes, must be misunderstandings.
I don't see the logic in this.
I think you must be mistaking.
Even if you have an online directory, I don't see how this explains mistakes
from your helpline.
It's not a valid excuse I mean.
If I go to Tesco and say I got the wrong change back.
Then Tesco can't say that, of it must be a misunderstanding because you have
paid by debit-card.
Thats the same reasoning to me.
So it would be very fine, if you could please confirm that I've understood
your excuse right.
Because in that case, I don't think it's a valid excuse, and I would please
like to complain about it.
I hope that this is alright!
Thank you very much for your answer again!
Yours sincerely,
Erik Ribsskog
On 10/19/07, Legal LSC
>
> Our ref: KPL/MISC/07/07/70 (5)
> Date: 19 October 2007
>
>
> Dear Mr Ribbskog,
>
> Thank you for your e-mail on 16 October 2007.
>
> You are always welcome to put forward an informal complaint regarding a
> duty solicitor's poor service and/or misconduct, in connection with
> the Local Duty Solicitors Scheme, to the Account Manager of our relevant
> regional office. They will be happy to investigate your complaint and
> will communicate with the duty solicitor involved to clarify the areas
> of your complaint and endeavor to resolve the issue.
>
> However, it is not within our capacity or powers to enforce any actions
> upon the relevant duty solicitor in regards to their poor service and/or
> misconduct.
>
> For complaints on the poor service and/or misconduct of any solicitor
> to be dealt with formally and with enforceable actions, you must direct
> your complaints to the Law Society's Legal Complaints Service (LCS),
> who are an independent complaints handling body that deals with all
> formal complaints against solicitors. Even though they are part of the
> Law Society, they operate independently.
>
> Further details on the LCS are available at the following website:
>
> http://www.legalcomplaints.org.uk/home.page
>
> Both the above options are available to you and it is your decision on
> where you want to direct your complaint and how it is resolved.
>
> In regards to our customer-helpline, it is more than likely that there
> was a miscommunication or misunderstanding between you and my colleague
> as a list of law firms can be accessed easily through a search on the
> CLS Legal Adviser Directory.
>
> I hope the above is of assistance to you.
>
> Yours sincerely
>
>
> Ka Poh Ling
> Central Customer Services Unit
>
>
>
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