Complaints Policy

1. About this policy

ReviewSolicitors is the UK's largest legal-specific review platform, helping members of the public to compare and choose legal service providers. We are a signatory to the voluntary code of conduct for digital comparison tools operated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), CILEx Regulation, and the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) (the "Code").

As part of our commitment to the Code, we operate a clear and transparent complaints process for both members of the public and legal service providers. This policy explains who can complain, how to complain, and how and when we will respond.

2. Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to:

• Members of the public - including people who use ReviewSolicitors to research or compare law firms, and people who have submitted (or attempted to submit) a review through our platform.
• Legal service providers - law firms, solicitors, and other legal professionals who are listed on ReviewSolicitors, whether or not they have a commercial relationship with us.

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about our service, our platform, our processes, or the conduct of our team, where you are seeking a response or resolution from us.

3. What this policy does not cover

Some matters have their own dedicated processes, which will usually resolve them faster than a formal complaint:

• Amending or removing your own review. If you have posted a review and wish to amend or remove it, please use the process available on our website or contact us using the details in Section 4 below and we will guide you through it.
• Challenging a review (law firms). If your firm wishes to challenge a review - for example, because you consider it to be defamatory, not from a genuine client or prospective client, or otherwise in breach of our review guidelines - you must send your challenge to info@reviewsolicitors.com. Review challenges are dealt with exclusively through that address. They will not be accepted through the complaints addresses set out in this policy, we do not accept service of any such matter (including legal correspondence or proceedings) through those addresses, and any such correspondence sent to them will not be forwarded internally. Firms may also respond publicly to any review through their profile.
• Complaints about a law firm's legal services. We are a comparison and review platform - we do not investigate or adjudicate complaints about the legal services a firm has provided. Concerns of this kind should be raised directly with the firm in question under its own complaints procedure, and thereafter, where applicable, with the Legal Ombudsman or the relevant legal services regulator.

If you have used one of the processes above and are dissatisfied with how we handled it, you may then raise a complaint under this policy.

4. How to make a complaint

Please make your complaint by email:

• Members of the public: complaints@reviewsolicitors.com
• Law firms and other legal service providers: lawfirmcomplaints@reviewsolicitors.com

Please note: the addresses above are for complaints about ReviewSolicitors and our service only. Challenges to reviews - including allegations that a review is defamatory or not from a genuine client - must be sent to info@reviewsolicitors.com as set out in Section 3, and will not be actioned or forwarded if sent to the complaints addresses above.

To help us deal with your complaint efficiently, please include:

• your name and contact details (and, for firms, the name of the firm and your role);
• a clear description of your complaint, including relevant dates, links, or reference numbers;
• copies of any relevant correspondence or supporting information; and what outcome you are seeking.

If you are unable to email us, or if you require reasonable adjustments to access this process, please contact us via our Contact Us page (https://www.reviewsolicitors.co.uk/contact-us) and we will do what we reasonably can to assist.

5. Our process and timescales

Stage 1 - Acknowledgement. We will acknowledge your complaint within five working days of receiving it. Our acknowledgement will confirm who is handling your complaint and, where possible, indicate when you can expect a substantive response.

Stage 2 - Investigation and response. We will investigate your complaint and aim to provide a substantive written response within 20 working days of our acknowledgement. Our response will set out our findings, any action we intend to take, and the reasons for our decision.

Complex complaints. Some complaints require more detailed investigation - for example, where they involve multiple issues, third parties, or historic matters. In these cases we may extend the response period by up to a further 20 working days (i.e. up to 40 working days in total from acknowledgement). If we need to do this, we will tell you, explain why, and keep you updated on the progress.

"Working days" means Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays in England and Wales. Timescales are targets rather than guarantees; if exceptional circumstances mean we cannot meet them, we will let you know and give you a revised timescale.

If you are dissatisfied with our substantive response, you may request an internal review. Your request should be made within 28 days of the date of our response and should explain why you consider our response to be wrong or incomplete.

6. If you are not satisfied

The review will be carried out by a senior member of our team who was not involved in the original decision, wherever reasonably practicable. We aim to provide the outcome of the review within 20 working days of receiving your request, extendable in the same way as Stage 2 for complex matters. The outcome of the internal review is our final response, and our internal complaints process is then exhausted.

The Code is a voluntary good-practice code and the legal services regulators do not adjudicate individual complaints about digital comparison tools. However, if you have a question or concern about the Code or our participation in it, you may contact the SRA.

7. Unreasonable or vexatious complaints

We are committed to dealing with all complaints fairly and courteously, and we expect the same in return. In rare cases - for example, where a complaint is abusive, repeatedly raises matters that have already been fully addressed, or places unreasonable demands on our team - we may limit or restrict further correspondence on the matter. If we decide to do this, we will explain our decision in writing.

8. Confidentiality and data protection

We will handle your complaint, and any personal data you provide with it, in confidence and in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law, including UK GDPR. Information you provide will be used only for the purposes of investigating and responding to your complaint, improving our service, and meeting our obligations under the Code.

9. Review of this policy

We keep this policy under review and will update it from time to time, including to reflect any changes to the Code or our obligations under it. The current version will always be published on our website.