This short, practical course explains how law firms can maintain client satisfaction, identify complaints at an early stage and respond effectively when concerns arise. The session will focus on proportionate, workable complaints handling arrangements that support good client care, reduce the risk of escalation and help firms meet their obligations under the Legal Ombudsman scheme and the SRA Standards and Regulations.
Participants will explore what amounts to a complaint, common causes of dissatisfaction and practical steps firms can take to prevent issues from developing. The course will cover how to investigate and respond to complaints clearly and constructively, including early resolution, vulnerable clients, final response letters, appropriate remedies and the importance of learning from complaints to improve systems, supervision and service delivery.
Target Audience
This course is suitable for anyone involved in receiving, managing, responding to or overseeing complaints within a legal practice. It will be particularly relevant for:
- partners, directors and owners of law firms
- complaints handling staff, client care teams, practice managers, compliance officers, supervisors and administrators with responsibility for complaints, risk, client service or regulatory compliance
- fee earners and support staff who need to recognise client concerns early and understand when and how issues should be escalated