Skip to content
    DefamationGuardSolicitors · London

    Complaints Procedure

    Effective date: January 2026

    Scope of this procedure

    Defamation Guard is a UK-focused information and referral service. It is not a law firm and is not authorised or regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. This procedure explains how to raise a complaint about the way Defamation Guard has handled something — for example, information provided on this site, the case-assessment process, a referral to a specialist solicitor, or how we have handled your personal data.

    Important: if your complaint relates to a solicitor you were referred to, that solicitor is regulated by the SRA in their own right. They will have their own complaints procedure and, if unresolved internally, the Legal Ombudsman can hear complaints about their service. That escalation route is not available for complaints about Defamation Guard because we are not a regulated legal service.

    Our commitment

    We take feedback seriously. If something has gone wrong — a referral that did not work as expected, information on this site that you believe was inaccurate, or a data-handling issue — we want to know so we can put it right and improve the service.

    How to make a complaint

    If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of Defamation Guard, please contact us in writing:

    • By email: complaints@defamationguardlaw.com

    Please include your full name, contact details, a reference (if you have one), and a clear description of your complaint and the outcome you are seeking.

    Our internal complaints process

    Stage 1 — Acknowledgement

    We will acknowledge your complaint in writing within two business days of receipt. Your complaint will be reviewed by someone not involved in the matter you are complaining about.

    Stage 2 — Investigation

    We will review the correspondence and records relating to your matter, speak to any staff member involved, and consider your complaint thoroughly. We may contact you to discuss the matter or request additional information.

    Stage 3 — Response

    We aim to provide a full written response within eight weeks of receiving your complaint. Our response will include:

    • A summary of the complaint
    • Our findings from the investigation
    • Any remedial action we propose to take
    • Information about further options if you remain dissatisfied

    Stage 4 — Review

    If you are not satisfied with our response, you may ask for the complaint to be reviewed by a senior member of the Defamation Guard team who was not involved in the original response. A final response will be provided within 14 days.

    Further options if you remain dissatisfied

    Because Defamation Guard is not a law firm, the Legal Ombudsman and the SRA do not have jurisdiction over complaints about us. Depending on the nature of your complaint, the following routes may be available.

    Consumer complaints — Trading Standards / Citizens Advice

    For general consumer complaints about the service, you can raise concerns with your local Trading Standards service via the Citizens Advice consumer helpline:

    Data protection complaints — ICO

    If your complaint relates to how we have handled your personal data, you can raise it with the UK Information Commissioner's Office:

    Complaints about a referred solicitor

    If your complaint is about the service provided by a solicitor you were referred to, please raise it with that solicitor's own complaints team in the first instance. If it is not resolved to your satisfaction, the Legal Ombudsman ( legalombudsman.org.uk, 0300 555 0333) can hear complaints about regulated legal service providers. For conduct concerns you can report the solicitor directly to the SRA (sra.org.uk, 0370 606 2555).

    Recording and learning

    We keep a record of complaints and outcomes and review them periodically to identify trends and improve the service.

    Contact

    If you have any questions about this procedure, please email complaints@defamationguardlaw.com.