Learning from the figures

The Law Society is the statutory regulator regarding complaints against solicitors. Clients, other solicitors, financial institutions, and the Registrar of Solicitors can make complaints that fall into three main categories: misconduct, excessive fees, and inadequate professional services.

The number and nature of complaints serve as a useful indicator of the quality of service provided by solicitors to their clients, and any areas of concern, writes Sorcha Hayes (Head of Practice Regulation at the Law Society).

Historic lows

A review of complaints figures for 2017 has shown historic lows across a range of variables:

• Complaints were made regarding just 0.09% of transactions carried out by solicitors,
• The propensity of clients to make a complaint against their solicitor reduced to one-third of what it was 20 years ago,
• The number of admissible complaints is two-thirds lower than the peak of 2011 -- and 94% of all solicitors had no complaints made against them in 2017.

Reasons for reductions

These figures demonstrate the high quality and ongoing improvement in legal services and client care provided by solicitors, and the general high level of client satisfaction.

Factors at play include increasing effectiveness and robustness of the Law Society’s regulatory system, improved education of students and practitioners regarding client care, and increased focus through professional indemnity insurance on firm risk-management procedures.

Fewer property transactions, and greater competition, result in fewer ‘pain points’ that may prompt a complaint, and enable clients to change their solicitor where they receive inadequate service. Writing in the June 2018 Gazette, Hayes delves into the figures, shedding light on where complaints come from in the system.

• Read the full article in the June 2018 Gazette

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