Complaints Procedure

We are committed to providing a high quality of legal service to all our clients.  When something goes wrong, you are entitled to complain.  This will enable us to address the matter and, where appropriate, to offer a remedy and it will help us to improve our standards.

Our Complaints Procedures

• Client Complaints Procedure

• Privacy and Data Protection Complaints Procedure

Our Client Complaints Procedure

We take any complaint most seriously, but if you are not a client, we reserve the right to modify and possibly to exclude the operation of this Complaints Procedure in full or in part.

Initial Steps to Resolve

1. If you have any concerns about the service you receive, please contact paul.lockyer@lockyersonline.co.uk.

2. Paul Lockyer will endeavour to acknowledge your complaint within three working days. They will send you an acknowledgment and a copy of this Complaints Procedure.

3. We will record your complaint in a central register and open a file for your complaint.

4. Paul Lockyer will investigate your complaint. This will normally involve their taking one or more of the following steps:

• reviewing the file and any associated documents for the matter to which the complaint relates; and

• seeking any further clarification needed from you.

If it seems appropriate, Paul Lockyer may at any stage suggest a meeting to obtain details or to discuss matters with you.

Any information you supply will be treated in confidence unless otherwise agreed.

5. Paul Lockyer will then write to you to:

• report any findings; and

• make proposals for resolving your complaint.

• We aim to do this within six weeks of acknowledging your complaint.  If for any reason the six week timetable cannot be achieved (for example, because of work absence or because further information is required from third parties or from you), we will explain why and endeavour to agree a revised date with you. 

Escalation Procedure for Service Complaints about UK Matters

6. If you are unhappy with our final response you may be entitled to refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.  The Legal Ombudsman considers complaints brought by individuals, small businesses if classified as a micro enterprise, charities, clubs, societies, associations and trusts with a net annual income or net asset value of less than £1 million.

7. Please note that the time limit for referring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman is generally six months from the date on which you receive our final written response, and no later than one year from either (a) the date of the act or omission you are complaining about; or (b) the date you realised there was cause for complaint.

8. If you miss the time limit, the Legal Ombudsman may not be able to investigate your complaint.

9. You can check details of the time limit and the redress system operated by the Legal Ombudsman using the following contact details:
   Address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough SL1 0EH
   Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
   Phone: 0300 555 0333 (from the UK) or +44 121 245 3050 (if calling from overseas)
   Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Concerns about professional conduct

10. The Legal Ombudsman deals with the service you received. If you are concerned about Paul Lockyer's professional conduct as a solicitor (for example dishonesty, or a breach of the Solicitors Regulation Authority's rules), you can report this to the Solicitors Regulation Authority at www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/report-solicitor.

Privacy and Data Protection Complaints Procedure

1. We are committed to protecting personal data and complying with all applicable data protection laws and regulations, including the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 ("Data Protection Law"). If you believe we have mishandled your personal data or failed to meet our obligations, you are entitled to complain. This policy explains how individuals can raise complaints about our data processing activities and how we will respond.

Scope

2. This policy applies to complaints about:

• How we collect, use, share, or retain personal data.

• Our responses to data subject rights requests.

• Any alleged breach of Data Protection Law.

3. Conduct, service or billing complaints are handled under our Client Complaints Procedure above.

Initial steps to resolve

4. If you have any concerns about the handling of your personal data, please contact paul.lockyer@lockyersonline.co.uk.

5. To help us investigate, please include:

• Your name and contact details.

• Details of your concern and relevant dates.

• Any supporting documents.

• The outcome you seek.

6. If you act on someone’s behalf, you may be required to provide proof of authority.

7. If you need this procedure in an alternative format or language, please let us know.

What Happens Next

8. We will acknowledge your complaint within 7 working days of receipt. The acknowledgement will confirm receipt, provide a reference number and outline next steps.

9. We will record your complaint in a central register and open a file for your complaint.

10. Paul Lockyer will begin investigating your complaint promptly and will provide an update within 30 days or whenever possible during the investigation.

11. The investigation may include reviewing relevant records, interviewing staff, and clarifying details with you. If it seems appropriate, we may at this stage suggest a meeting to obtain further details or to discuss matters with you.

12. The duration of our investigation will depend on the complexity of the issues raised and the steps needed to resolve your complaint.

13. We aim to provide an outcome without undue delay, explaining our findings.

Review of our decision

14. If you do not accept our findings or proposals for resolving the matter, you may ask us to review our decision by emailing paul.lockyer@lockyersonline.co.uk within 28 days of our response. Paul Lockyer will consider the complaint afresh and give you our final internal decision.

Escalation of Complaints

15. You have the right to complain to a supervisory authority about our collection and use of your personal data. For more information, please contact your local supervisory authority. Contact details for the ICO, the UK's data protection authority, are available here.

Confidentiality

16. Complaint information is processed securely and shared only on a need to know basis, in line with data protection law.

Last updated: 20 October 2026