The duty in context
Complaints procedure and handling client
The lawyer must maintain a complaints procedure, tell clients at the outset how to complain (including to any ombudsman), and handle complaints promptly, fairly and free of charge.
How the codes express this duty
E&W Solicitors SRA Principles & Code CCS 8.2; CCS 8.3; CCS 8.5 strong 110 cases
8.2 You ensure that, as appropriate in the circumstances, you either establish and maintain, or participate in, a procedure for handling complaints in relation to the legal services you provide. 8.3 You ensure that clients are informed in writing at the time of engagement about: (a) their right to complain ... (c) any right they have to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman ... 8.5 You ensure that complaints are dealt with promptly, fairly, and free of charge.
SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs · 2019 · archived copy · official source ↗
E&W Barristers BSB Handbook rC99; rC104; rC105; rC108 strong 4 cases
rC99 You must notify clients in writing when you are instructed ... .1 of their right to make a complaint, including their right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman (if they have such a right), how, and to whom, they can complain, and of any time limits for making a complaint; rC104 All complaints must be acknowledged promptly.
BSB Handbook · current · archived copy · official source ↗
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code 2026 R.4.5 strong
An attorney-at-law shall have a written complaints procedure and ensure that complaints are handled promptly, fairly and in accordance with that procedure. Clients shall be told at the outset of a matter or the client relationship of the complaints procedure
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code of Professional Conduct · 2026 · archived copy
AU Solicitors Solicitors' Conduct Rules no clear equivalent
AU Barristers Uniform Barristers Rules no clear equivalent
IE Solicitors Law Society Guide Ch2 — Complaints strong 65 cases
A solicitor should have a dispute-resolution procedure in place for dealing with complaints, which should be communicated to the client. The client should be advised of any actions that will be taken in relation to the matter that is the subject of a complaint.
Solicitor's Guide to Professional Conduct (Law Society of Ireland) · 4th ed. (2022) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Barristers Bar Code of Conduct no clear equivalent
JM Attorneys Canons of Professional Ethics no clear equivalent
JE Lawyers Law Society of Jersey Code R.1.6 strong
Members must have a written complaints procedure and ensure that complaints are handled promptly, fairly and in accordance with that procedure. Clients must be told at the outset of the matter or the client relationship how to complain.
Law Society of Jersey Code of Conduct · 1 January 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
ON Lawyers LSO Rules of Prof. Conduct no clear equivalent
BC Lawyers BC Code no clear equivalent
NZ Lawyers Conduct & Client Care Rules r 11.5 / r 3.4(d) strong
A lawyer practising on their own account must ensure that the lawyer's law practice establishes and maintains appropriate procedures for handling complaints by clients with a view to ensuring that each complaint is dealt with promptly and fairly by the law practice.
Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008 · SR 2008/214 · archived copy · official source ↗
SCO Solicitors LSS Standards of Conduct no clear equivalent
SG Lawyers Professional Conduct Rules 2015 no clear equivalent
HK Solicitors Solicitors' Guide Principle 6.01 Commentary 9 partial
In no circumstances can a solicitor exclude his liability for professional misconduct. Furthermore, a solicitor may not seek an agreement from his client to refrain from making a complaint about his professional misconduct.
Hong Kong Solicitors' Guide to Professional Conduct (Volume 1) · current · archived copy · official source ↗
HK Barristers Bar Code of Conduct no clear equivalent
Cases dealing with this duty
210 decisions · link basis: found breached = a tribunal finding; rule cited = the mapped provision is cited in the decision; text match = high-precision text pattern
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Alvina Zia
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Smith, Mark Rodger
As at 5 February 2021, the Respondent Solicitor failed to pay the Complainant’s outstanding fees, in the amount of $11,825.00, despite having received monies from the client (on or about 18 December 2018) which were exp…
Practitioner to undertake and complete further legal education Reprimand $0.00 About About the OLSC The Commissioner History Mission statement Structure Contact Contact the OLSC Give us your feedback: online surveys Access to information (GIPAA) Community information Information for lawyers Fact sheets FAQs Other regulatory and complaint-handling organisations Contact LawAccess NSW for legal information " You and Your Lawyer", Hot Topics 78 Legal Information Access Centre (LIAC), State Library of NSW , provides access to information about the law in NSW regarding your lawyer Privacy Copyright and Disclaimer Website accessibility View decision -
Soophia Khan
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Katherine Alexander-Theodotou
Breaches
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Elizabeth Catherine Nedin
Client Money, Failures
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Qunmber Bin Ehsan
Breaches, Failures
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Michelle Cronin
In the matter of Michelle Cronin, a solicitor previously practising as Michelle Cronin Solicitors at Kennedy Buildings, 24 Main Street, Tallaght Village, Dublin 24 [2020/DT13 and High Court record 2022 no 3SA] Law Socie…
conditions View decision -
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Rupinder Kainth
Breaches, Failures
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Rizwana Jamil
Breaches, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Kirna Devi Madhas
Breaches
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James (Seamus) Doody
In the matter of James (Seamus) Doody, solicitor, practising in Doody Solicitors, 21 South Mall, Cork, and in the matter of an application by the Law Society of Ireland to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal [6285/DT17…
strike_off View decision -
Maurice B O’Sullivan
In the matter of Maurice B O’Sullivan, a solicitor practising as Maurice O’Sullivan & Company Solicitors, at 9 Colbert Street, Listowel, Co Kerry, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2015 [2017/DT24, 2017/DT38…
strike_off View decision -
Michael Doody
In the matter of Michael Doody, solicitor, principal at Doody Solicitors, 21 South Mall, Cork, and in the matter of an application by the Law Society of Ireland to the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal [2017/DT85 and 201…
other View decision -
Keith John O'Neill
Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Harold Anthony Newell
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Keisha Hackett
Breaches, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Brian Milner-Lunt
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Colin Kenneth Grooms
Breaches, Delays, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
Duty classification does not yet cover every jurisdiction (Ontario, New Zealand and Singapore decisions are indexed but not yet duty-classified), so counts here understate those corpora.