Complaints procedure
How to tell us if something has gone wrong, what we will do about it, and where to go if you are still unhappy.
At a glance
- Making a complaint is free and won’t affect your claim
- We’ll acknowledge it within 3 working days
- You’ll get our full written response within 8 weeks
- If you’re still unhappy, the Legal Ombudsman can help
This summary is for convenience. The full procedure below explains how complaints are handled.
1. Our commitment to you
We want to give you a good service at all times. If something has gone wrong, or you are unhappy with any part of our service or our bill, please tell us. Complaints help us put things right and improve how we work.
- Making a complaint is free. We will never charge you for dealing with it.
- It will not affect your claim. We will keep working on your matter while we look into your complaint.
- We will be fair and open. Your complaint will be looked at properly, and we will explain our decision in writing.
Often the quickest way to sort out a concern is to speak to the person handling your claim. If you would rather not, or you are not happy with their answer, you can make a formal complaint using the details below.
2. How to make a complaint
You can complain in whichever way suits you:
- Email: backontheroad@njslaw.co.uk, with “Complaint” in the subject line
- Telephone: 0800 820 3860
- Post: Complaints, Back On The Road UK, St George Chambers, St Georges Place, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 8BT
It helps if you can tell us:
- your name, contact details and claim reference, if you have one
- what went wrong, and when
- what you would like us to do to put it right
If you need help making a complaint, or would like us to make adjustments such as large print, a different format or a call at a particular time, just let us know.
3. What happens next
Your complaint will be dealt with by [NAME], our [ROLE], or by another senior member of the team who has not been involved in your matter.
- We acknowledge your complaintWithin 3 working daysWe will confirm we have received it, tell you who is dealing with it, and check we have understood what you are unhappy about.
- We look into itInvestigationWe will review your file, speak to the people involved and, if it helps, contact you to talk it through or ask for more information.
- We send our final responseWithin 8 weeksWe will write to you with what we found, what we will do to put things right if we got something wrong, and how to take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman if you are still not satisfied. If we need longer, we will tell you why.
4. If you are still not satisfied: the Legal Ombudsman
The Legal Ombudsman is an independent body that can look at complaints about the service you have received from lawyers. It is free to use. It deals with complaints from individuals and some small businesses, charities, clubs and trusts.
You can contact the Legal Ombudsman if:
- you are not satisfied with our final response to your complaint, or
- we have not resolved your complaint within 8 weeks of you making it to us.
Time limits apply. You must normally refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:
- within six months of the date of our final response to your complaint, and
- within one year of the act or omission you are complaining about, or within one year of when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
The Legal Ombudsman’s contact details are:
- Website
- www.legalombudsman.org.uk
- enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
- Telephone
- 0300 555 0333 (Relay UK: 18001 0300 555 0333)
- Post
- Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH
5. Complaints about your bill
If you are unhappy with our bill, you can complain to us using this procedure, and then to the Legal Ombudsman if you remain unhappy.
You may also have the right to object to the bill by applying to the court for an assessment of it under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. If the court assesses the bill, the Legal Ombudsman may not be able to consider a complaint about it.
6. Alternative dispute resolution
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) bodies can help resolve complaints without going to court. We are required to tell you that [ADR BODY NAME] ([ADR BODY WEBSITE]) is an approved ADR body that can deal with complaints about legal services. [We do / We do not] currently agree to use this scheme.
This does not affect your right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman.
7. Concerns about our conduct
The Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints about service. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) deals with concerns about how solicitors behave, for example if you think we have been dishonest, have taken or lost your money, or have treated you unfairly because of your age, a disability or another characteristic.
You can raise a concern with the SRA at www.sra.org.uk. NJS Law Limited’s SRA number is 8006550.
8. Complaints about repairers or hire companies
Vehicle repairs and replacement vehicles are provided by independent companies we work with. They are separate businesses with their own complaints procedures, and complaints about the repair or the vehicle itself should go to them first. We can give you their contact details.
If your complaint is about how we referred you to them, or how we have dealt with your claim, please complain to us using this procedure.
Need to make a complaint?
Email or call us and we’ll make sure the right person looks into it.