HAVE YOUR SAY - COMPLAINT PUBLICATION

01/04/08

THE LAW SOCIETY POSITION

Following earlier consultation with the profession as a whole, the Law Society has the following concerns with the proposals:

• Publication may limit access to justice for vulnerable clients or for small regional communities;
• Publication at this time will only focus on solicitors, who are well regulated, rather than all legal service providers;
• Publication may develop a blame culture within firms rather than a culture which welcomes complaints as a form of feedback and opportunities for improvement;
• Publication as suggested will significantly disadvantage small firms and sole practitioners.

The Law Society is advocating an alternative way forward by recommending that further assistance (through practice notes and training) be given to firms to improve standards. We also believe that potential clients would like to hear about firms who have achieved high quality in client care when selecting a local solicitor, rather than just hearing about those who may have a number of complaints against them. We are looking at ways to promote solicitors who pursue high quality client care.

The Law Society needs your help

While individual firms are welcome to submit their own responses to the consultation, the Law Society is looking to draw together its members' views and experiences to present a united voice to the LCS with respect to these proposals.

We would appreciate receiving from you concrete examples which we can use in the consultation response (anonymised appropriately) of how the proposals would affect your firm. This will make the response far more effective and authoritative.
We would specifically ask you to reply to me at
fiona.tatton@lawsociety.org.uk with responses to the following questions:
Do you have groups of clients which generate higher levels of complaints for your firm – and if so would publication make you re-consider providing services in this field
Are you working in a small community – how would publication affect your practice
Have you had any complaints which you have had to push to an adjudication in order to get your initial offer accepted – If so please give brief details
Does your firm use any of the products provided by the Law Society to assist with client care:
•Your Client Your Business
•Practice Advice Service
•Practice Management Section
•Client care training
•Lexcel
If so, how have these assisted your firm?
Has your firm developed any initiatives with respect to client care or complaint handling which you think would be useful for other firms to adopt to raise standards – if so please provide brief details

If you have any questions or other comments about the consultation, please feel free to e-mail me or Emma Oettinger, Policy Advisor in the Law Society’s Regulatory Affairs Unit at: emma.oettinger@lawsociety.org.uk

Please feel free to pass this on to other firms who you think may be interested in sharing their views.

We would appreciate your responses by 9 April if at all possible. Please call Fiona Tatton on 07980 725 964 if you would like to discuss any of the points raised or information requested.

Thank you for your assistance.

Fiona Tatton
Regional Manager, Yorkshire
The Law Society
2nd Floor, 6-8 The Bull Ring, Wakefield WF1 1HA / DX 15021 Wakefield
T: 01924 202020 / F: 01924 202030
E: fiona.tatton@lawsociety.org.uk
www.lawsociety.org.uk