Complaints

We aim to get things right first time. If we do not, we want to hear about it — and we have a formal procedure, set by the Institute of Professional Willwriters, for putting it right.

Telling us about a problem

If something has gone wrong, please tell us as soon as you can. Many concerns are resolved quickly by speaking to the person dealing with your matter.

If you would rather raise it formally, or you have already spoken to us and are not satisfied, please contact us:

  • By post: Clarke & Wright Legal Ltd, Unit 35 Rural Enterprise Centre, Stafford Drive, Shrewsbury SY1 3FE
  • By email: info@clarkewright.co.uk — please mark your message “Complaint”
  • By telephone: 01743 387210

It helps if you can tell us your name and contact details, what happened and when, who you dealt with, and what you would like us to do to put things right.

What we will do

  1. We will acknowledge your complaint in writing within five working days. If the person who needs to deal with it is unwell or on leave, we will acknowledge it within 19 days.
  2. We will investigate. Wherever possible, your complaint will be looked at by someone who was not involved in the matter.
  3. We will give you a full written response within 56 days of receiving your complaint. If we need to speak to you or ask for more information, we will do so within that period.

We record every complaint we receive, including those made verbally, and keep the record for three years. Our complaints records may be inspected by the Institute of Professional Willwriters.

If you are still not satisfied

Clarke & Wright is a member of the Institute of Professional Willwriters (IPW) and follows its Code of Practice, which is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute under its Approved Code Scheme.

If we have not resolved your complaint to your satisfaction, or you have not received our full response within 56 days, you can refer the matter to the IPW’s independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme. The scheme is free to you, it is independent of us, and its decision is binding on us.

To use it, contact the IPW:

The IPW will confirm whether your complaint falls within the scheme and explain what happens next.

A note on the Legal Ombudsman

Will-writing is not a reserved legal activity, and firms that are not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority do not fall within the Legal Ombudsman’s jurisdiction. The Legal Ombudsman is therefore not the route for a complaint about our will-writing services — the IPW’s ADR scheme is. Using our complaints procedure, or the IPW scheme, does not affect your right to take legal action.

Clarke & Wright is a trading name of Clarke & Wright Legal Ltd, registered in England no. 11602410. Registered office: Unit 35 Rural Enterprise Centre, Stafford Drive, Shrewsbury SY1 3FE.