Introduction

Legal assist is a trading name of Apollo claims Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) in respect of Claims Management Activities. Firm refence number: 838489. You can check this on the FCA register.

We view complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve for the future, as well as a chance to put things right for the person that has made the complaint.

We are committed to resolving complaints at the earliest possible stage by whatever means appear most appropriate to the individual and their circumstances. We will investigate and mediate to ensure a fair resolution for the customer. 

Does this policy apply to you?

• A Private Individual
• A business which has a group annual turnover of less than £1 Million.
• A Charity which has an annual income of less than £1 Million; or
• A Trustee of a trust which has a net asset value of less than £1 Million

1          Our Policy

• To provide a fair complaints procedure which is clear and easy to use for anyone wishing to make a complaint;
• To publicise the existence of our complaints procedure so that people know how to contact us to make a complaint;
• To make sure everyone in within the firm understands what a complaint is;
• To make sure everyone within the firm knows what to do if a complaint is received;
• To make sure all complaints are investigated fairly and in a timely way;
• To make sure that complaints are, wherever possible, resolved and that relationships are repaired;
• To gather information which helps us to improve what we do.

2          Confidentiality

All complaint information will be handled sensitively, telling only those who need to know and following any relevant data protection requirements.

3          Responsibility

Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation lies with the Managing Director and Compliance.

4          Complaints Procedure

Complaints may arrive through any channels publicised for that purpose or through any other contact details or opportunities the complainant may have. All complaints received need to be recorded. The person who receives the complaint should:

• Write down all the facts of the complaint.
• Take the complainant’s name, address and telephone number.
• Note down the relationship of the complainant to the business.
• Tell the complainant that we have a complaints procedure.
• Tell the complainant what will happen next and how long it will take.
• Where appropriate, ask the complainant to send a written account by post or by email so that the complaint is recorded in the complainant’s own words.

Written complaints may be sent to Legal Assist, 16 Bury New Road, Manchester, M8 8EL or by e-mailing enquiries@legalassist.co.uk.

Complaints can also be made by contacting us on the Complaints line 0161 804 7609.

8          Resolving Complaints

• Often a complaint is best resolved by the person recording the complaint for example a Customer Advisor. If the complaint is resolved at this point it must be reported to Compliance on the above email addresses so it can be recorded.
• On receiving the complaint, the Compliance Manager must record it on the Complaints Log. If it has not already been resolved, the Compliance Manager will deal with the complaint or delegate to an appropriate person to investigate it and to take appropriate action.
• If the complaint relates to a specific person, they should be informed and given a fair opportunity to respond.
• Complaints should be acknowledged by the person handling the complaint within 5 working days. The acknowledgement should say who is dealing with the complaint and when the person complaining can expect a reply as per the complaints procedure.
• Ideally, complainants should receive a definitive reply within four weeks. If this is not possible – because, for example, an investigation has not been fully completed – a progress report should be sent with an indication of when a full reply will be given.
• Whether the complaint is justified or not, the reply to the complainant should describe the action taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation, and any action taken as a result of the complaint.
• If the Complaints Department requests information from another area of the business they must comply with this request promptly so not to delay the response.
• Whether the complaint is upheld or not, the reply to the complainant should describe the action taken to investigate the complaint, the conclusions from the investigation, and any action taken as a result of the complaint.
• The decision taken at this stage is final, unless the Board decides it is appropriate to seek external assistance with resolution.
• If the complaint relates to a specific person within the business, they should be informed and given a further opportunity to respond.
• Variation of the complaints procedure The Board may vary this procedure if it has good reason for doing so, such as a conflict of interest. For example, if the complaint was about Compliance, it would not be appropriate for Compliance to review the complaint. 

9          Complaints to a Regulator

If the complainant is still dissatisfied with the outcome, a referral can be made to the Claims Management Ombudsman, whose details are below:

In writing: Claims Management Ombudsman, Exchange Tower, Harbour Exchange, London, E14 9SR

By Phone: 0800 023 4567

Online: https://cmc.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/contact-us/complain-online

• A complainant can complain to the relevant regulator after 8 weeks of raising the complaint, or once a final written response has been issued, whichever is sooner.
• If the complaint relates to the use of the complainant’s personal information by one of our companies, the complainant may complain to the ICO. Information about the kind of complaints the ICO can involve itself in and how it deals with complaints can be found on its website.
• In the event a regulator requesting information we will cooperate with their request in a timely manner.

Complaints are reviewed regularly and again annually to identify any trends which may indicate a need to take further action.