Complaints Policy
CLAS is committed to providing quality legal services. If you are not satisfied with the services you have received, you may file a complaint.
Scope of Complaints
Issues you may wish to bring to our attention include:
• Unprofessional or disrespectful communication or conduct
• Missed deadlines
• Failure to respond or follow-up when required
• Lack of adequate knowledge or skills
• Failure to honour commitments
Please note that this process is not an avenue for the review of CLAS decisions about whether or not to provide or continue service.
CLAS will not respond to complaints that:
• Use vulgar, abusive, or violent language
• Are frivolous, vexatious, or made in bad faith
• Have already been resolved
How to Make a Complaint
We encourage people to resolve their complaint directly with the person involved, if possible. If an informal resolution is not possible, please use the process below to submit a formal complaint.
Complaints should be in writing. You can submit your complaint by email, mail, or fax.
Please provide:
1. Your full name and contact information (email, phone number, and address)
2. The name of the person that your complaint is about and the program they work with, if known (for example, Community Law Program, Human Rights Clinic, Mental Health Law Program, or SHARP Workplaces)
3. A written description of your experience, including examples and dates if possible
4. Any relevant information you have regarding your complaint, including any supporting documents
Email your complaint to [email protected] with the subject line: [Name of program] – Complaint
or
Mail your complaint to
CLAS – [name of program] – Complaint
300-1140 West Pender Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 4G1
or fax to: 604-685-7611
If you are unable to make a written complaint, please contact our office at 604-685-3425 or toll free: 1-888-685-6222 and we will take your complaint over the phone.
If you are unable to communicate in English, consider having a friend or someone in the community help you. If that is not possible, contact us and we may be able to have someone assist you.
Please ensure you advise us of any changes to your contact information during this process.
Next steps
Once CLAS receives a written complaint from you, we will:
1. Send the complaint to the appropriate program supervisor. If your complaint is about a program supervisor, we will send it to the Executive Director.
2. Send you an acknowledgment of receipt of your complaint within 3 business days.
3. Contact you if the information you have provided is incomplete, or we feel more information is necessary.
4. Discuss the complaint with the person that your complaint is about.
5. Provide you with a response in writing at the email or mailing address you provided within 30 business days of receiving your complaint. If we required further information from you to assess your complaint, we will provide you with our response within 30 days of receiving the further information requested.
6. Save your complaint and all relevant documentation related to your complaint in your file with CLAS.
7. If your complaint relates to assistance you received from the Mental Health Law Program (MHLP), we will also report to our funder, Legal Aid BC, on the results of our review of your complaint, subject to the limitations of lawyer-client privilege.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive to your complaint, you may request a review by CLAS’s Executive Director.