Complaints Procedure

Our commitment to you

Will Solicitors is a trading style of B J McKenna & Co Solicitors LLP, which is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA No. 570089). We are committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. When something goes wrong we need you to tell us about it, so that we can resolve it for you and improve our service for everyone.

Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your matter, and there is no charge for us to investigate a complaint.

What counts as a complaint

We treat a complaint as any expression of dissatisfaction which alleges that you have suffered, or may suffer, financial loss, distress, inconvenience or other detriment. You do not need to use the word "complaint" — if you are unhappy, tell us.

Step 1: Speak to the person handling your matter

In the first instance, please raise your concerns with the person who has conduct of your case, either verbally or in writing. Most concerns can be resolved quickly and informally at this stage. If you would prefer not to raise it with them, or you are not satisfied with their response, you can ask to speak to their team leader.

Step 2: Make a formal complaint

If your concerns are not resolved, or the matter is serious, you can make a formal complaint to our Compliance Officer. Please set out clearly what has gone wrong, when it happened, and what you would like us to do to put it right, and include your file reference if you have one.

You can also contact us on 0161 348 7581 or at hello@WillSolicitor.co.uk and we will pass your complaint on, or write to us at 335 Wellington Road North, Heaton Chapel, Stockport, SK4 4QG.

What happens next

1. We will acknowledge your complaint in writing within three working days of receiving it, and confirm who will be investigating it.
2. We will investigate your complaint, which will normally involve reviewing your file and speaking to the member of staff concerned.
3. We will write to you with a full response, including what we have found and what we propose to do about it, within twenty-eight days. If we need longer than that, we will write to tell you why and give you a new date.
4. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may ask us to review it, and you may refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman as set out below.

In any event, we have up to eight weeks from the date you first complain to us to resolve your complaint. If eight weeks pass without a resolution, you can take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman even if we have not yet given you a final response.

Referring your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman

If we are unable to resolve your complaint, and it has been more than eight weeks since you first raised it with us, you may be entitled to ask the Legal Ombudsman to consider it. The Legal Ombudsman is an independent body set up under the Legal Services Act 2007 to deal with complaints about the service provided by legal professionals. Its service is free to consumers.

You must complain to us first. The Legal Ombudsman will normally expect you to have given us the chance to put things right before it looks at your complaint.

Time limits

There are strict time limits. From 1 April 2023, a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must be made:

• no later than one year from the date of the act or omission you are complaining about, or no later than one year from the date on which you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint; and
• within six months of receiving our final written response to your complaint.

The Legal Ombudsman may exercise discretion to accept a complaint outside these time limits in exceptional circumstances, but you should not rely on this. If your complaint is out of time, the Legal Ombudsman may not be able to help you.

How to contact the Legal Ombudsman

Concerns about our conduct: the SRA

The Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints about the service you have received — for example delays, poor communication, or a disagreement about your bill. The Solicitors Regulation Authority is different: it deals with concerns about a firm's or a solicitor's professional conduct — for example dishonesty, misuse of client money, discrimination, or a serious failure to meet the SRA's standards.

If you have a conduct concern about us, you can report it to the SRA. You do not have to complain to us first, and you can report a conduct concern to the SRA at the same time as making a service complaint to us or to the Legal Ombudsman. The SRA cannot award you compensation.

Complaints about a bill

If your complaint is about a bill we have sent you, you may also have the right to apply to the court for an assessment of that bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. There are time limits for doing so. Please note that if you apply to the court for an assessment, and the bill has been paid, the Legal Ombudsman may not consider your complaint about the same bill.

Alternative dispute resolution

Alternative complaints bodies exist which are competent to deal with complaints about legal services, should both you and we agree to use such a scheme. We do not currently agree to use any such scheme, as complaints about our service can be referred to the Legal Ombudsman.

Contact us

If anything on this page is unclear, or you would like help making a complaint, please contact us:

Last updated: 19 October 2026