Complaints Procedure

When you are dissatisfied with our services

The Principals and staff of Mortlock McCormack Law are committed to providing high quality legal services to all our clients. We stake a lot on our reputation – ‘Business Based, People Focused’. We will actively work with you, investigate, and seek a resolution to any issue raised.

We want you to know that if we cannot directly resolve a problem related to our services, that you have alternative choices available which are outlined below.

Our aim is to resolve your concerns quickly and effectively.

Our Complaints Procedure

When you have a complaint, you can choose how to communicate your issue with us. We encourage you to raise any concern as quickly as possible directly with the staff member you are engaging with, so that we can try and resolve your concerns well before it develops into a more serious situation. Alternatively you are able to request to discuss your concerns with a supervising Principal.

If you are uncomfortable dealing directly with staff who are close to the issue, we encourage you to make direct contact with our Practice Manager, Catherine Quigley – catherine@mmlaw.co.nz DDI (03) 3438 380. The Practice Manager will discuss your concerns both ‘in confidence’, and with an independent view (within the Firm). The nature of your concern will determine whether the issue can be dealt with quickly and informally, or whether there is a likely need to take a more formal approach.

The guide below outlines how a complaint would be dealt with by us:

1. Select who you want to discuss your issue with and advise them verbally in the first instance.
2. Advise us in writing immediately after an initial discussion: the nature of your complaint; and what you see as an acceptable outcome.  Address your correspondence to the Practice Manager, Mortlock McCormack Law (catherine@mmlaw.co.nz).
3. Written correspondence will be acknowledged on receipt, and entered onto the Firm Complaints Register.
4. We will arrange for a senior representative of the firm and/or the Practice Manager to internally review the situation and make a Firm determination.
5. You may be further contacted to gain additional information, and/or to arrange a mutual time to meet and discuss potential outcomes.
6. Generally we will attempt to complete this as soon as practical but no less than 14 days from our initial acknowledgement.
7. If we perceive that the situation is complex or we are constrained by time we will contact you to negotiate an extension to our internal review.
8. At the completion of our investigations, and with a view to attempting to resolve your complaint, we will arrange to meet with you to discuss our findings and how this compares with your expected outcome.
9. We will follow up this meeting with our written advice, confirming our position.
10. If you remain unhappy with our actions and/or the outcome of our meeting we may recommend any, or combinations of, the following options:

• You seek independent legal advice.
• Both parties agree to independent mediation.
• You raise your complaint with the New Zealand Law Society, complaints@lawsociety.org.nz or phone 0800 261 801. The Law Society will further investigate the situation and provide a written legal outcome.  We will abide and comply with any ruling from the Law Society.

Confidentiality

All conversations and documents relating to your complaint will be treated as confidential and will be disclosed external of our firm only to the extent that is legally necessary.

Related Reference Sites:

New Zealand Law Society: www.lawsociety.org.nz
Mediation Services: www.aminz.org.nz