Office Complaints Procedure
LexQuire LLP

(Offices Heerlen and Maastricht-Airport)

Address: LexQuire LLP, 6199 AE Maastricht, The Netherlands
E-mail: klachtencommissaris@lexquire.nl

For complaints about the services, declarations, specification of activities, the behaviour of employees or partners and/or any other matter in which LexQuire LLP is involved, you can always address the Complaints Officer of LexQuire LLP. Complaints may be addressed to the Complaints Officer in writing by e-mail or post. Please be kindly referred to the following office complaints procedure of LexQuire LLP

Article 1 definitions

In this office complaints procedure, the following terms are defined:

  • complaint: any written expression of dissatisfaction by or on behalf of the client with respect to a lawyer or the persons working under his or her responsibility, concerning the conclusion and the execution of the assignment, the quality of the services or the amount of the fee, not being a complaint as meant in paragraph 4 of the Lawyers Act;
  • complainant: the client or his/her representative who makes a complaint;
  • complaints officer: the lawyer affiliated with LexQuire who is entrusted with the handling of the complaint;

Article 2 Scope of application

  1. These rules of procedure apply to all agreements between the Dutch branches of LexQuire LLP and the client.
  2. Each lawyer of LexQuire is responsible for handling complaints in accordance with the office complaints procedure.

Article 3 Objectives

The aims of this office complaints procedure are:

  1. to lay down a procedure to handle client complaints in a constructive manner within a reasonable period of time;
  2. to lay down a procedure for determining the causes of clients’ complaints;
  3. maintaining and improving existing relationships by means of prudent and diligent complaint handling;
  4. training employees in responding to complaints in a client-focused way;
  5. improving the quality of the service by means of complaint management and complaint analysis.

Article 4 information upon commencement of service provision

  1. This office complaints regulation have been made public. The text of the regulation is published on the office’s website. In addition, prior to entering into the contract for professional services, the lawyer shall inform the client that the office has a regulation on complaints and that this regulation applies to the service provision.
  2. LexQuire has included in its general terms and conditions to which independent party or authority a complaint that has not been solved after treatment may be submitted in order to obtain a binding ruling and has made this known in the confirmation of the engagement.
  3. Complaints as referred to in Article 1 of this office complaints regulation that have not been resolved may be brought before the civil court of the District Court of Limburg, sitting at Maastricht.

Article 5 Internal complaint procedure

  1. If a client approaches the office with a complaint about one of LexQuire Tax & Law’s lawyers, the complaint will be forwarded to the complaints officer. For the Heerlen office, this is Mr T.J. Wittendorp, and for the Maastricht-Airport office, it is Mrs L.E.I.K. Jaminon.
  2. The complaints officer informs the addressee of the complaint about that the complaint has been lodged and gives the complainant and the addressee of the complaint the opportunity to explain the complaint.
  3. The addressee of the complaint will attempt to reach a solution together with the complainant, possibly after intervention by the complaints officer.
  4. The complaints officer will deal with the complaint within four weeks of its receipt, or will notify the complainant if this term is exceeded, stating the reasons, and indicating the term within which a decision regarding the complaint will be taken.
  5. The complaints officer shall inform the complainant and the addressee of the complaint in writing of the decision on the merits of the complaint, whether or not accompanied by recommendations.
  6. If the complaint has been dealt with satisfactorily, the complainant, the complaints officer and the addressee of the complaint sign off on the decision as to whether the complaint is well-founded.

Article 6 confidentiality and free complaint handling

  1. The complaints officer and the person complained against observe confidentiality during the handling of complaints.
  2. The complainant is not obliged to pay any compensation for the costs of handling the complaint.

Article 7 responsibilities

  1. The complaints officer is responsible for dealing with the complaint in a timely manner.
  2. The addressee of the complaint shall keep the complaints officer informed of any contact and a possible solution.
  3. The complaints officer will keep the complainant informed about the handling of the complaint.
  4. The complaints officer keeps the complaint file up to date.

Article 8 Registration of complaints

  1. The complaints officer registers the complaint and the subject of the complaint.
  2. A complaint may be classified into several subjects.
  3. The Complaints Officer shall report periodically on the processing of the complaints and shall make recommendations for the prevention of new complaints, as well as for the improvement of procedures.
  4. At least once a year, the reports and recommendations shall be discussed at the office and shall be subjected to a decision making process.

Heerlen,  5 January 2022