Mediation Service Complaints

Our Mediation Service is a facilitation service, distinct from legal services. It is important to note that our Mediation Service does not act on behalf of any party, nor does it represent or provide legal advice to any party. Additionally, our service does not engage in the drafting or signing of documents on behalf of any party.

In the realm of conflict resolution, our Mediation Service serves as a neutral platform for parties involved to engage in constructive dialogue and find mutually agreeable solutions. By fostering open communication and facilitating productive discussions, we aim to assist parties in reaching their own resolutions.

It is crucial to understand that while our Mediation Service offers a supportive environment for parties to address their concerns, we do not provide legal representation or advice. Our role is to guide the mediation process, ensuring fairness, impartiality, and confidentiality for all parties involved.

Furthermore, it is important to clarify that our Mediation Service does not undertake the responsibility of document creation or signing on behalf of any party. We encourage parties to seek independent legal advice and assistance for such matters.

Alexander Christian operates the following complaints procedure for Mediation Services.

We are committed to providing a high-quality mediation and dispute resolution service to all our clients. However, if at any point you become unhappy with or concerned about the service, we have provided then you should inform us immediately so that we can do our best to resolve the problem. A complaint is defined as an expression of dissatisfaction with the mediation service proved.

In the first instance, it may be helpful to contact the person who is or was working on your mediation to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues. We feel this informal discussion and direct approach over the telephone is often the best way to deal with any concerns/ complaints.

If you would like to make a formal complaint, then you can read our full complaints procedure below.

In the unlikely event that you remain dissatisfied after discussing the matter, with your mediator, or if you prefer to lodge a complaint in writing. Please write to the Principal - Debbie Francis with full details. Please include your name and mobile number, reference number (if applicable), the names of the other parties in the mediation and the date the mediation took place.
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What will happen next: A letter will be sent to you acknowledging the complaint within 5 working days of receipt. We will record your complaint in our Mediation Complaints Register. We are required to keep written records of any complaints made. The Principal will then investigate your complaint. The Principal will review your matter and as part of this investigation, the Principal will invite you to meet them to discuss and hopefully resolve your complaint. This will be done within 21 working days of receipt of your complaint. If the complaint is more complex, then the timescale could take longer and we will let you know in writing when to expect a full response.

Within 5 working days of the meeting, the Principal will write to you to confirm what took place and any solutions they have agreed with you. If at that stage, you are still not satisfied you should contact the Principal again to review the decision. We will write to you within 14 working days of receiving your request to review, confirming our final position on your complaint and explaining our decision to you. If we need to change any of the timescales above, we will write to you, to let you know and explain why.

Alternative Complaint bodies ( such as ProMediate (UK) Limited - www.promediate.co.uk
are competent to deal with complaints should you and this firm agree to use them.

We are registered with the Civil Mediation Council (CMC).
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If you are still not satisfied with the outcome of the complaint, you may refer your complaint to the Secretariat of the Civil Mediation Council. All complaints must be in writing and addressed to the CMC Secretariat. This must be done in writing within one month of the conclusion of consideration of the complaint by the mediator and in any event within six months of the events giving rise to the complaint. Complaints received outside these time limits will only be accepted at the discretion of the CMC. Once your complaint has been received by the CMC. The CMC will send you a receipt by email.

Eight weeks following your complaint, if it is not resolved you can contact the Legal Ombudsman. The legal Ombudsman will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your existing case. Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the legal ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint and no more than one year from the date of act/omission; or no more than one year from when you should reasonably have known there was a cause for complaint.

If your complaint relates to the costs we have charged then you may also the right to ask for a detailed assessment as set out on our invoice(s) pursuant to section 70-72 of the Solicitors Act 1974.

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