Legal services
What can you do if you are unhappy with the service provided by your legal adviser? Find out if they are regulated by a professional body, and whether you are entitled to insurance or compensation.
See also If you're thinking about Legal services for information and advice about choosing legal services.
- What can you do if something goes wrong, or you aren't satisfied with the service?
- Special note on using a solicitor or licensed conveyancer
- Claims Management Regulation
What can you do if something goes wrong, or you aren't satisfied with the service?
Is the legal adviser regulated by a professional body? (For example, solicitors are regulated by the Law Society.) If they are, then they must have a clear complaints procedure in place. If you're unhappy with your legal adviser's service, you should write to the legal adviser first - they may be able to put things right without the need for further action. If this doesn't help, make a formal complaint, in writing, to the partner responsible for complaints. If you're unhappy with the response, then you should contact the professional body.
If you aren't sure whether the legal adviser is regulated by a professional body, there's nothing wrong with asking if they are.
Note: Not all legal advisers are regulated by a professional body. If they aren't regulated, the firm may not have a complaints procedure or way of making amends if things go wrong.
Examples of regulated advisers
- Solicitors
- Barristers
- Licensed conveyancers
- Legal executives
- Claims Managers
Examples of unregulated advisers
- Will writers
- Advice agencies (eg Citizens Advice Bureau)
- Employment law advisers
Regulated advisers normally must have indemnity insurance. This means that if you lose money because they have been at fault, they have insurance cover to ensure that you are repaid. Solicitors and licensed conveyances have a fund to compensate you if they take money you have deposited with them. Claims management companies only need indemnity insurance if they represent clients in personal injury cases. Other legal advisers may not be covered by insurance or a compensation fund.
Special note on using a solicitor or licensed conveyancer
If you're unhappy with the service from your solicitor or licensed conveyancer and you don't want to pay for it or would like to move to another legal adviser, then the solicitor or licensed conveyancer is legally entitled to refuse to release your documents until you've paid the costs to date. This is called the solicitor's lien.
From April 2007 it became an offence for those offering claims management services for profit in areas such as personal injury and endowment mis-selling to operate without authorisation or an exemption. This helps protect consumers from unscrupulous practitioners offering so called ‘no win no fee agreements’ who in successful cases may take a large chunk of any compensation received.
Before authorisation is granted checks are made on those involved in the management or control of the business and they have to certify that they comply with the regulators rules of conduct, which includes having a clear consumer complaints policy in place.
You can see if providers are authorised and to report complaints and concerns about companies working inappropriately via the following link:
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Claiming compensation: authorised providers
The Ministry of Justice, the Government Department responsible for this regulation, has produced a guide to the regulations called ‘Claims Management regulation:- what you need to know’. - Claims Management Regulation: what you need to know
The claims management regulation team can be contacted on 0845 450 6858 or via Email: info@claimsregulation.gov.uk
To find out more information about claiming compensation, AdviceNow have produced a leaflet, explaining what compensation is, and providing information on how to decide if making a compensation claim is appropriate.
Visit the AdviceNow website
Contact Details for any Directory or A-Z entry available of consumer direct
If you have a contacts section the full contact details for claims management regulation are:
Claims Management Regulation
Monitoring and Compliance Unit
57 – 60 High Street
Burton–upon–Trent
Staffordshire
DE14 1JS
Telephone: 0845 450 6858
Fax: 0845 450 6866
Email: info@claimsregulation.gov.uk
