Prowse Phillips0151 515 6880

Complaints Procedure

We are committed to providing an excellent service. If you are unhappy with any part of our service, we want to know so we can put it right. This procedure explains how to raise a complaint, what we will do, and how to escalate the matter if you remain dissatisfied.

Last updated: 25 April 2026

It is free to raise a complaint with us. You will not pay any fee to use this procedure or to escalate to the Legal Ombudsman or the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Raising a complaint will not affect how we run your case.

1. Raising a complaint with us

If you are dissatisfied with any part of the service you receive, please contact your case handler in the first instance. Most concerns can be resolved quickly and informally at this stage.

If your case handler is unable to resolve the matter to your satisfaction, please contact our Complaints Manager, Nicolai Phillips, in writing. Set out clearly:

  • What has happened and when
  • Why you are unhappy
  • What outcome you are looking for

You can write to us by email or by post:

  • Email: info@prowsephillips.co.uk
  • Post: Complaints Manager, Prowse Phillips Law Limited, Unit 15, Connect Business Village, 24 Derby Road, Liverpool L5 9PR
  • Phone: 0151 515 6880 (please ask to speak to the Complaints Manager)

2. What we will do

  • Within 1 week we will acknowledge your complaint in writing and confirm who is handling it.
  • We will then investigate the matter. This may include reviewing your file and speaking with the team members involved.
  • Within 8 weeks of the date we receive your complaint, we will provide you with a full written final response.
  • If we need more time, we will write to you before the 8-week deadline to explain why and tell you when you can expect our final response.

3. Accessibility and support

We want our complaints process to be accessible to everyone. If you would prefer to raise your complaint by phone, in a different format, or with the assistance of a friend, family member, or advocate, please let us know and we will accommodate this where we reasonably can. If you have told us about a vulnerability or additional support need, we will take this into account in how we handle your complaint.

4. Confidentiality and no detriment

Raising a complaint will not affect how we conduct your case. Your case will continue to be progressed in the ordinary way, and the colleagues handling your complaint will treat the information you provide in confidence, sharing it only with those who need to see it to investigate.

5. If you are still unhappy — Legal Ombudsman

If we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you can ask the Legal Ombudsman to review the matter independently. The Legal Ombudsman is the official, independent dispute-resolution body for legal services in England and Wales and the approved Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider for complaints about solicitors. The service is free to use.

Who can use the Legal Ombudsman

The Legal Ombudsman can usually consider complaints from:

  • members of the public (consumers);
  • businesses or enterprises that, at the time the complaint is made, are micro-enterprises (broadly, fewer than 10 employees and turnover or annual balance sheet of no more than €2 million);
  • charities, clubs, or trusts with a net annual income of less than £1 million; and
  • personal representatives or beneficiaries of someone's estate where we have provided services to them.

If you fall outside these categories — for example, you are a larger business — the Legal Ombudsman may not be able to investigate. In that situation we will discuss other options with you, which may include mediation, arbitration, or court action. You can also raise concerns with the SRA (see section 6 below).

Time limits for referring to the Legal Ombudsman

You must refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within 6 months of receiving our final written response. You must also refer it within whichever of the following applies:

  • For acts or omissions on or after 1 April 2023: within 1 year of the act or omission, or within 1 year from the date you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
  • For acts or omissions before 1 April 2023: within 6 years of the act or omission, or within 3 years from the date you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.

The Legal Ombudsman has discretion to accept complaints outside these limits in exceptional circumstances.

Possible outcomes

Where a complaint is upheld — by us or by the Legal Ombudsman — possible outcomes include an apology, an explanation, putting things right (for example by reissuing or correcting work), a refund of fees, a reduction in fees yet to be charged, payment of compensation, or a combination of these. The Legal Ombudsman can require us to pay up to £50,000 in compensation in qualifying cases.

How to contact the Legal Ombudsman

Important: Do not send original documents to the Legal Ombudsman. They will scan documents you send them and destroy the originals.

6. Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)

If your complaint is about our professional conduct — for example, dishonesty, a serious breach of the SRA Principles or the SRA Code of Conduct, or a concern about how the firm is run — you can report this directly to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The SRA does not handle service-quality complaints (those go to the Legal Ombudsman) but does handle conduct issues.

You can contact the SRA at:

7. Reporting concerns about your data

If your complaint relates specifically to how we have handled your personal information, you can also raise this with the Information Commissioner's Office at www.ico.org.uk. See our Privacy Policy for full details of how to do this.