Introduction
If you are dissatisfied with the service we have provided then you have the right to complain. The Notaries Society is a membership organisation for notaries practising in England & Wales and is regulated by the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
In the first instance, the complaint must be made to the notary themselves. If the matter cannot be immediately resolved the notary will refer the complaint to The Notaries Society (if they are a member). The Notaries Society will deal with the complaint under their Approved Complaints Procedure. For non-members, the complaint should be passed to The Faculty Office direct.
Complaints to the Notaries Society should be addressed to:
Christopher Vaughan
Secretary of The Notaries Society, Old Church Chambers, 23 Sandhill Road, St James, Northampton NN5 5LH
secretary@thenotariessociety.org.uk
Complaints to The Faculty Office should be addressed to:
The Registrar, The Faculty Office, 1 The Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3JT
020 7222 5381
faculty.office@1Thesanctuary.com
Legal Ombudsman
Complaints may also be made to the Legal Ombudsman. Normally, the Legal Ombudsman expects you to give us 8 weeks to try to resolve the matter. If after 8 weeks you are still dissatisfied you can then involve the Legal Ombudsman.
The Legal Ombudsman's contact details are as follows:
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6167
Slough
SL1 0EH
For more information on how the Legal Ombudsman works please visit the Legal Ombudsman website.
Timescales
In normal circumstances you are required to register a complaint within one year. You must then give us 8 weeks to try to resolve your complaint before contacting the Legal Ombudsman. A complaint to the Legal Ombudsman must normally be made within six months of the date of the conclusion of the Firm's complaints procedure. In summary:
- You must register your complaint with us within one year
- The Legal Ombudsman expects you to give us 8 weeks to try to resolve your complaint
- After this time, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman (but you must do so within 6 months)
Where do I start?
To register a formal complaint, please write to us and include all the information suggested by the Legal Ombudsman - their website includes some useful checklists and sample letters.