Complaints Procedure

Ridouts is committed to providing a high-quality legal service. We pride ourselves on the close relationship that we cultivate with our clients and we want to give you the best possible service. However, if at any point you have a complaint about our services or charges then you should inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.

In the first instance it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues.  We find that most issues can be resolved in a short telephone call in the first instance.  If you would rather speak to our Managing Director, Paul Ridout, then he can be contacted by telephone or email on:

If you would like to make a formal complaint, then our full complaints procedure is set out below.  Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.

Formal Complaint Procedure


1. How to make a complaint?

Formal complaints should be made in writing using one of the following methods:

  • Via email: info@ridout-law.com
  • Via post: Ridouts Professional Services Ltd, 7-10 Chandos Street, London, W1G 9DQ

2. What happens after you make a complaint?

2.1 We will acknowledge your complaint within five working days of receipt. A record of your complaint will be put on our Complaints Register.

2.2 Your complaint will be reviewed by Paul Ridout, or in his absence, a fellow director or a Senior Associate, who will investigate the details of your complaint and address your concerns. This may involve speaking to any members of staff that have worked on your case.

2.3. If your complaint is not complex, we will endeavour to give you a substantive response in writing within ten working days of receiving your complaint. We will inform you of our decision and, if applicable, our suggestion/s for resolving the matter.

2.4. If your complaint is complex, or we require further information from you, you may be invited to a meeting in person or we may request a conference call to discuss the matter further. If so, we will contact you to indicate how this may affect the timings for a final response. If the date and time are unsuitable for you, please let us know as soon as possible.

2.5. If you do not want a meeting or it is not possible to meet with us, we will send you a detailed written response to your complaint based on the information we have. The response will include (if applicable) our suggestion/s for resolving the matter.

2.6. If you are satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, your complaint will be closed and we will retain a copy for our records.

What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint

If your complaint has not been resolved to your satisfaction within 8 weeks following the making of the complaint, you are entitled to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.  The Legal Ombudsman is an independent body that handles complaints.  It will not affect how we handle your case.

Please note that there are alternative dispute resolution approved bodies, such as ProMediate (www.promediate.co.uk) which are competent to deal with complaints but we do not agree to use such schemes.

If you are unhappy with the outcome of our internal complaints’ procedure, and fall within the Legal Ombudsman criteria for accepting a complaint, then you must make your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within:

  • six months of receiving a final response to your complaint

And within

  • one year from the date of the act or omission being complained about; or
  • one year from the date when you (the complainant) should have realised that there was cause for complaint.

If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them.

Contact details

Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Call: 0300 555 0333 between 9.00 to 17.00.

Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH

What to do if you are unhappy with our behaviour

The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.

Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Can we help?