Facing a complaint?

As a solicitor you have a professional obligation to deal with a complaint made to you by your client. We hope to assist by providing information that should help you when faced with a complaint.

We have provided an example of a firms complaints handling procedure (PDF 72K) to help you.

What do you need to do when a complaint arises?

be open minded and consider how best to resolve it.
send a copy of your complaints procedure and letter acknowledging the complaint. These should be written in clear terms and should avoid complicated language. You should tell your client at least

what you will do in response to the complaint
when you will do it
who will do it

include details of the Legal Complaints Service with the address and website details. You should explain that your client can ask us to become involved at the end of your firm's own complaints procedure if they are unhappy with the outcome.
give the time limit for raising a complaint, which is generally six months from the end of the firm's procedure. Additional information can be found within our Frequently asked questions on time limits.
be specific about the next step and when this will happen.

Local Conciliation Scheme

We operate a Local Conciliation scheme. Occasionally you may be faced with a difficult complaint which, despite your best efforts, you are unable to resolve using your own complaints handling procedures.

In certain circumstances, providing your client agrees, you may be able to ask us to provide assistance from a Local Conciliation Officer, even though at that stage no formal complaint has been made to the Legal Complaints Service. If you need further information about the scheme please contact us