“Only half of people are confident complaining to a lawyer. People are confused about what to do, get overwhelmed by legal jargon, believe they won’t get a fair hearing and fear upsetting their lawyer.” Legal Services Consumer Panel, March 2013
Because of this ACCESSSOLICITOR.COM, a legal comparison website of more than 20,000 lawyers, and Pro Mediate, the online and telephone consumer complaints mediation service, today announce their co-operation to improve client complaint handling by lawyers. This further enhances the support that AccessSolicitor.com already provides to clients.
Pro Mediate is one of only three ADR entities authorised by the Chartered Trading Standard Institute to deal with complaints against lawyers, and is highlighted by BIS and the Law Society for lawyers to be compliant with the ADR Directive by offering clients an ADR option for complaint resolution by 1 October 2015.
AccessSolicitor.com was launched in August 2013 to help lawyers reach clients who are increasingly searching online, and to make it as easy as possible for consumers and small business owners to find the right lawyer for their needs. Access Solicitor will provide lawyer recommendations through a lawyer/client matching algorithm which it has developed with Westminster University. An important factor within this algorithm is client satisfaction.
For those lawyers registering and enhancing their information with its site and paying before 1 October 2015 AccessSolicitor.com will provide firms access to the confidential Pro Mediate client mediation service for the first year for only £1 per lawyer per month.
Pro Mediate’s founder, Peter Causton, says: “Pro Mediate aim to use our best endeavours to settle disputes cost effectively and efficiently. Lawyers are required to comply with the ADR Directive and Access Solicitor shares our core value of helping the customer, so they were an obvious partner choice. This is a new route for clients to resolve their complaints without having to go through the rigmarole of the Legal Ombudsman”
AccessSolicitor.com’s founder and chief executive, Warren Smith, says: “We are pleased to partner with Pro Mediate to help lawyers improve their complaint-handling and positively differentiate themselves in the market.”
For more information on AccessSolicitor.com, please contact:
Warren Smith, chief executive
(07982) 393 149 or warren.smith@accesssolicitor.com
For more information on Pro Mediate, please contact:
Peter Causton, founder
(07989) 390 447 or petercauston@btinternet.com
About AccessSolicitor.com
• AccessSolicitor.com is an online directory that allows regulated legal professionals to promote themselves to consumers as well as small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).
• The database, which includes solicitors, direct access barristers, licensed conveyancers and legal executives, totals 20,355 regulated legal professionals.
• AccessSolicitor.com uses a website architecture that helps maximise the number of visitors to the site, and already provides a number of unique features to help match individuals searching for legal services with the most suitable lawyer.
• All AccessSolicitor.com’s services are free for consumers and SMEs.
About Pro Mediate
• Pro Mediate has been certified by the Chartered Institute of Trading Standards to provide ADR under the EU Directive from 1 October 2015, for lawyers and client disputes.
• Pro Mediate has created an online dispute resolution complaints tool whereby clients can input details of their complaint online and law firms can also respond online.
• Pro Mediate only uses professionally qualified mediators to deal with disputes between lawyers and clients. They also have specific experience of dealing with professional negligence claims against lawyers and lawyers’ costs. Pro Mediate provides professional mediation services for professionals.