Outsourced
Complaint Management
Independent complaint handling and resolution support for law firms.
RACO provides law firms with an outsourced, independent and efficient way to manage complaints. We handle complaints from initial instruction through to investigation, response and resolution, helping firms reduce internal burden, manage complaints responsively and avoid unnecessary escalation.
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Complaint Management Services For Law Firms
Complaints are often unavoidable when providing legal services. Whilst many firms receive relatively few complaints, handling them internally can create a non-recoverable cost and divert senior staff and fee earners away from client work.
RACO’s Complaint Management Service gives firms access to an independent, impartial and experienced complaint handling team. We work within your existing complaint management policy and the requirements of the SRA, ensuring complaints are handled responsively, efficiently and with appropriate care.
The service can be used for complaints made directly by clients or their representatives, through to complaints presented by the Legal Ombudsman. Whether support is required for a single complaint or as part of a wider outsourced arrangement, RACO provides practical support from initial intimation through to final resolution.
Why Outsourced Complaint Management Matters
Complaints must be dealt with quickly and efficiently to reduce the risk of escalation.
A structured, independent complaint handling process helps firms:
- Reduce the burden on senior staff and fee earners
- Manage complaints in a cost-effective way
- Provide an impartial review of the issues raised
- Support early and effective resolution
- Avoid unnecessary escalation to the Legal Ombudsman or SRA
- Demonstrate that complaints are handled in line with regulatory obligations
Where a complaint is justified, early action can help resolve the issue before it escalates. Where a complaint is unjustified, an independent review can help provide a clear, balanced and appropriate response.
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For more information and costings
Our approach
Our Complaint Management Service is responsive and interactive, designed to support efficient complaint resolution while ensuring the firm remains in control of key decisions.
Engagement
The firm confirms that it requires RACO to manage its complaints. There is no commitment to send complaints, but an agreement must be entered into to protect the firm and its clients.
Agreement
The firm and RACO enter into an agreement and confidentiality agreement that is compliant with the SRA Codes of Conduct and GDPR.
Instruction
If a complaint is received, the firm provides details to RACO by phone, email or post and advises the client that RACO has been instructed to review the complaint on an independent and impartial basis.
Review & Investigation
RACO reviews the file and, where necessary, speaks with the fee earner and the client or their representative to establish the cause of the complaint and identify any issues.
Report
We report back to the firm with a draft response to the complaint, making clear recommendations on the action to be taken with an agreed action plan.
Implementation
Following formal approval of the response, we issue this to the client or their representative and seek to resolve the complaint in accordance with the agreed action plan. Where necessary, we return to the firm to discuss any further issues that arise and adapt or amend the action plan to resolve the complaint.
Resolution
We work with the firm and the client or their representative to bring the complaint to a close on the best terms possible.
Legal Ombudsman Support
Where a complaint escalates to the Legal Ombudsman, we can represent the firm and, where necessary, seek to ensure that any penalty action is minimised and, where appropriate, disputed.
Core Service Benefits
Cost Effective
A cost-effective way to manage complaints, enabling fee earners to focus on delivering legal services rather than non-fee earning tasks.
Responsive
Complaints must be dealt with quickly and efficiently to avoid escalation. Our service is responsive to the needs of the firm and the complaint.
Impartial Expertise
Our advice and service is impartial. Clients will often respect that an independent expert is reviewing their complaint, which can support a more conciliatory approach.
Effective Resolution
Through effective management, we seek to resolve complaints with minimum negative impact on the firm and in the best interests of the firm and the client.
Technical Advice
Our complaint handlers understand legal services and their provision. Where a complaint is of a purely technical nature, we will work with your technicians to draft the appropriate response.
Partnership
We will not commit the firm to a direction it is not comfortable with. Our service is advisory and, whilst we will guide the firm on the appropriate action to take, we remain sensitive to the firm’s own requirements.
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For more information and costings
Why firms choose RACO
Independent Complaint Handling
Specialist Legal Sector Expertise
Responsive Complaint Management
Practical Resolution Focus
Firm-Led Decision Making
Looking for Complete, Outsourced Support?
Discover our Risk & Compliance Management Service.
For firms that require more than a structured framework and annual audit, our Risk & Compliance Management service provides complete day-to-day management of your compliance infrastructure.
This service builds on SRA Compliance Essentials and goes further. RACO becomes an operational extension of your firm, taking responsibility for the administrative management of compliance registers, notifications and reporting, while continuing to provide technical guidance and regulatory oversight.
Many firms begin with SRA Compliance Essentials to establish a robust framework, and then combine our Risk & Compliance Management service when they require ongoing administration, reporting and case-level support.
If you are seeking a fully outsourced compliance solution, we recommend discussing both services with our team.
Find out more
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What this includes
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Ongoing maintenance of all regulatory registers
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Collation and review of staff notifications
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Investigation support and monitoring of live matters
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Direct guidance to staff on case-level compliance issues
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Monthly partner reporting with trend analysis and recommendations
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Active support for COLP, COFA, MLRO and Data Protection roles
Compliance officers retain accountability, but the operational workload is managed by an experienced compliance team.
This model is particularly suited to firms where compliance is not a full-time internal function, or where leadership requires greater oversight, reporting and control without increasing headcount.
Contact Our Team
To ask any questions about the Regulation and Compliance Office and how we can support your Law Firm, please call us on 0203 985 8550, complete the online enquiry form below, or email us info@regulationandcomplianceoffice.co.uk