Complaints about legal practitioners rose to 1,000 in the six months to March 6, up 19% on the previous six months, as the Legal Services Regulatory Authority closed 1,139 cases and sent dozens more on for disciplinary action. Of the complaints received, 960 related to solicitors and 40 to barristers.
The figures show a busy period for the regulator, which can investigate inadequate legal services, excessive costs and misconduct. During the period, it directed legal practitioners to pay €86,944 in compensation to clients and to waive or refund a further €79,888 in fees charged.
Just over half of the complaints, 586, were deemed inadmissible. Just over one in five, 240, were settled with the help of the LSRA’s mediators, while 86 were upheld and 130 were not upheld. LSRA chief executive Niamh Muldoon said a significant proportion of complaints continue to be resolved at an early stage with the support of the authority, and said that is often the most effective way to address issues and achieve practical outcomes for both clients and legal practitioners.
The mediation figure matters because it shows many disputes never reach a formal ruling. But the report also shows the system still produces firmer outcomes when needed: in 55 upheld cases, the legal practitioner was ordered to pay compensation of up to €5,000, and 41 complaints of alleged misconduct were referred by the complaints committee to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal for further investigation. The authority also obtained nine orders from the President of the High Court directing compliance with a determination made by the LSRA or the tribunal.
Litigation featured heavily in the complaint mix. Just over 30% of inadequate legal services complaints were linked to litigation, and just over 20% concerned conveyancing. Litigation accounted for 32% of excessive cost complaints, while family law accounted for 23%. The latest report also gives a more detailed look at complaints relating to wills and probate, underlining how the LSRA’s work reaches across the most common areas where clients run into trouble with solicitors.
The jump in complaints does not point to one single crisis, but it does show more people are bringing disputes to the regulator and more of those disputes are being closed, diverted or enforced within the six-month reporting period. For solicitors, the message is plain: complaints are rising, and the LSRA is using a mix of mediation, compensation orders, fee refunds and disciplinary referrals to push them toward a result.
