Complaints: Record number last year
New rules requiring law firms to give clients a timeline for resolving complaints they have made, and provide regular updates, have been proposed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
It comes on the back of a record number of complaints made to law firms last year, more than 41,000, the highest since the regulator started to collect the data in 2012, and an 11% increase on 2024.
At the same time, figures from the Legal Ombudsman show it finds poor complaints handling in nearly half of the cases that it investigates.
The consultation comes on top of rule changes the SRA announced last year to improve how solicitors handle complaints, which include requiring that law firms provide complaints information at the end a client’s matter, on request and if a complaint is made during the matter – in addition to at the start, as is the current position.
We revealed in January that the SRA had withdrawn the application made to the Legal Services Board (LSB) for approval of these changes and it said today that this was because “we think that we need to strengthen our requirements around communicating with clients when they make a complaint”.
The proposals are the SRA’s response to statutory requirements issued by the LSB in May 2024 that all the regulators had to implement within 18 months. The aim is to improve first-tier complaints handling (the Legal Ombudsman being the second tier) across the legal profession.
The proposed new rules require that, when a complaint is first made, clients are provided with a timeline for resolution, and clients are then given regular updates on the progress of their complaint.
“Research for the LSB with consumers found that they believed it important that providers set out a timeframe for dealing with a complaint,” the consultation said.
“It also found that there was an expectation from consumers that they would receive updates about how their complaint was progressing against a stated timeline or, if a set timeframe was not feasible, at regular, agreed intervals.”
The consultation also asks for feedback on a new ‘complaints handling requirements statement’ which will set out the mandatory requirements, as well as what should be in supporting guidance that will give examples of how firms can move beyond the minimum standards.
“We want to be very clear to solicitors and firms about what they need to do to effectively handle complaints and meet our requirements in this area. And what could happen if they do not,” the SRA said.
“We want to support them to get it right and improve outcomes for consumers. Better complaints handling brings benefits for firms and their clients and builds public trust and confidence in legal services.”
The changes come against a background of LeO struggling to cope with a fast-growing caseload and itself now consulting on changes to encourage better complaints-handling at the first-tier.
Aileen Armstrong, the SRA’s executive director for strategy and policy, said: “In the majority of cases consumers receive the high-quality, professional support from law firms they should expect. But in some cases this does not happen.
“Where they need to make a complaint, it is important that people have readily accessible and clear information about how to raise any concerns, and that firms have open and transparent processes for dealing with such matters.
“We believe these proposed rules will play an important role in making sure all firms are working in the best interests of their clients.”
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