Making a Complaint about a Scrivener Notary
The practice of every notary in England and Wales is regulated under the Legal Services Act 2007 by the Master of the Faculties through the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The practice of a Scrivener Notary and of a general notary in the employ of a firm of Scrivener Notaries is additionally regulated by the Scriveners Company.
When you or your company first engage the services of a Scrivener Notary a written complaints procedure must be provided explaining how to make a complaint. If you wish to make a complaint about a Scrivener Notary and cannot find or did not receive a written complaints procedure you should contact the Scrivener Notary who carried out the work for you or the managing or senior partner of the firm in question with details of your complaint using the details provided in the Directory.
If your complaint is not resolved in this manner you may refer your complaint to the Scriveners Company, which operates an approved complaints resolution procedure. This procedure is free to use and is designed to provide a quick resolution to any dispute.
To refer your complaint to the Scriveners Company, please write (but do not enclose any original documents) with full details of your complaint to:
The Clerk
The Scriveners Company
HQS Wellington
Temple Stairs
Victoria Embankment
London
WC2R 2PN
Email: [email protected]
If you have any difficulty making a complaint in writing, please do not hesitate to call the Clerk of the Scriveners Company for assistance on 020 7240 0529.
On receipt of a complaint the Clerk shall arrange for it to be considered by the Professional Conduct Committee of the Scriveners Company, which consists of 3 members designated in accordance with the Company’s Standing Orders who are independent of the complainant and the Scrivener Notary against whom the complaint has been made. The complaint will be considered impartially and promptly.
Finally, even if you have your complaint considered under the Scrivener Notaries Complaints Procedure, you may, at the end of that procedure or after a period of eight weeks from the date you first notify the Clerk that you were dissatisfied, make your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman if you are not happy with the result:
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6806
Wolverhampton
WV1 9WJ
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
If you decide to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman, you must refer your matter to the Legal Ombudsman within six months from the conclusion of the complaint process.
Further information on how to complain about a notary may be found on the website the Faculty Office.