Complaints Procedure

Each firm handles its own complaints

Bekenbey Solicitors Ltd and Celiksoy Law Firm PC are separate firms, and each operates its own complaints procedure. A complaint about a UK matter is dealt with by Bekenbey Solicitors Ltd under the rules that apply in England and Wales. A complaint about a US matter is dealt with by Celiksoy Law Firm PC under the rules that apply in California. Neither firm deals with complaints about the other’s services.

Start by telling us

If something has gone wrong, or you are unhappy with the service you have received, we want to know. Most concerns are resolved quickly once they are raised, and raising one will never affect how your matter is handled.

In the first instance, speak to the person dealing with your case. If you would rather not, or if you have already done so and the position has not improved, write to the firm handling your matter using the details below.

If your matter is with Bekenbey Solicitors

Write to us at uk@celiksoylaw.com, or by post to Bekenbey Solicitors Ltd, 5 Merchant Square, London W2 1AY, United Kingdom. Please put “Complaint” in the subject line or at the head of your letter.

What to tell us

• your name and the reference or file the complaint relates to
• what happened, and when
• what effect it has had on you
• what you would like us to do to put it right

What happens next

1. Acknowledgement. We will acknowledge your complaint in writing within five working days and tell you who will be looking into it.
2. Investigation. The person reviewing your complaint will not be the person you have complained about. They will read the file, speak to the people involved, and come back to you if anything needs clarifying.
3. Our response. We will write to you with our conclusions, our reasons, and what we propose to do. We will send that final written response within eight weeks of receiving your complaint. If a matter is unusually complex we will tell you why more time is needed and when to expect our reply.
4. If you are still unhappy. Tell us, and we will look again. If we cannot resolve it between us, you can take the complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.

Taking a UK complaint further

The Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints about the service provided by law firms in England and Wales. It is independent of us and of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and using it is free.

Before you can go to the Ombudsman

You must give us the chance to resolve the complaint first. You can go to the Ombudsman once we have sent our final written response, or once eight weeks have passed since you complained to us without a response.

Time limits

The Legal Ombudsman must normally receive your complaint:

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

These limits are strict, so do not wait if you intend to use the scheme.

Who can use the scheme

The Ombudsman is open to individuals and to smaller organisations, including businesses with fewer than ten employees, charities and trusts below the income thresholds set in the scheme rules, clubs and associations, and personal representatives. The Ombudsman will confirm whether your complaint falls within the scheme.

How to contact the Legal Ombudsman

Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH
0300 555 0333, Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm · Relay UK 18001 0300 555 0333
enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk · legalombudsman.org.uk

Alternative dispute resolution bodies also exist that are competent to deal with complaints about legal services, should both you and this firm agree to use one. We do not currently agree to use any such scheme, and the Legal Ombudsman remains the route available to you.

Reporting misconduct to the SRA

The Legal Ombudsman deals with the quality of service. Conduct is a different question, and it is dealt with by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

You should report a matter to the SRA rather than the Ombudsman if it concerns dishonesty, the misuse of client money, discrimination, or other serious breaches of the rules solicitors are required to follow. You can report directly to the SRA at sra.org.uk/report, and you do not have to complain to us first.

If your complaint is about a bill

Raise it with us first, as you would any other complaint. You may also have the right to apply to the court for an assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974. If you apply to the court, the Legal Ombudsman may not be able to consider the same complaint, and time limits apply to an application for assessment. We recommend taking independent advice before going down that route.

If your matter is with Celiksoy Law Firm PC

Write to us at us@celiksoylaw.com, or by post to Celiksoy Law Firm PC, 8880 Rio San Diego Drive, Suite 800, San Diego, CA 92108, USA, marking your message “Complaint”.

We will acknowledge your complaint within five business days and give you a written response within thirty days. If we need longer, we will tell you why and when you can expect our answer. The review will be carried out by someone who has not been handling your matter.

If you remain dissatisfied

Attorneys practising in California are regulated by the State Bar of California, which operates a complaint process covering professional conduct. Details, and the forms for making a complaint, are published at calbar.ca.gov, and the State Bar operates a multilingual complaint line on 800-843-9053.

What this costs you

Nothing. Neither firm charges for investigating a complaint, and neither the Legal Ombudsman, the SRA nor the State Bar of California charges you for looking into one. Making a complaint will not affect the fees on your matter or the way your case is handled.

What we do with complaints

Each firm keeps a record of every complaint it receives, what caused it and how it was resolved, and reviews that record so that the same thing does not happen twice. Where a complaint shows that we got something wrong, we say so.