Complaints about solicitors increase

COMPLAINTS TO the Law Society about solicitors increased by more than 20 per cent in the 12 months to last September, compared with a year earlier.

Problems with undertakings on property transactions accounted for more than half of all complaints, up from about one third in the previous year.

The number of solicitors struck off, however, fell dramatically, as did the amount of money censured solicitors were fined.

There were 2,117 complaints about solicitors' conduct made to the society in the period September 1st, 2009, to August 31st, 2010, compared with 1,745 in the same 12 months between 2008 and 2009. The figures have just been published in the Law Society Gazette.

Of the 1,134 complaints about solicitors’ undertakings on property, 124 were referred on to the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal. This reason was the most common for referring a complaint on to the tribunal.

There were 104 allegations of failure to hand over papers, 88 of failure to account, 60 of failure to communicate and 22 of conflict of interest.

There were allegations of overcharging in 43 matrimonial cases.

The outcome of the tribunal’s investigations resulted in one solicitor being struck off in two cases against them, while two more solicitors were struck off prior to hearing.