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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Aiden Barry
In the matter of Aiden Barry, solicitor, formerly practising as Aiden Barry Solicitor, Roche House, 8 Bank Place, Limerick, Co Limerick, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [7243/DT60/13 and High Court re…
strike_off View decision -
Aiden Barry
In the matter of Aiden Barry, solicitor, formerly practising as Aiden Barry Solicitor, Roche House, 8 Bank Place, Limerick, Co Limerick, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [7243/DT65/13 and High Court re…
strike_off View decision -
Aiden Barry
I n the matter of Aiden Barry, solicitor, formerly practising as Aiden Barry Solicitor, Roche House, 8 Bank Place, Limerick, Co Limerick, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [7243/DT58/13 and High Court r…
strike_off View decision -
Gregory F O'Neill
In the matter of Gregory F O’Neill, solicitor, formerly practising as Greg O’Neill, Solicitors, Suite 109, The Capel Building, Mary’s Abbey, Dublin 7, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [3365/DT125/11 an…
strike_off View decision -
Gregory F O'Neill
In the matter of Gregory F O’Neill, solicitor, formerly practising as Greg O’Neill, Solicitors, Suite 109, The Capel Building, Mary’s Abbey, Dublin 7, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [3365/DT126/11 an…
strike_off View decision -
Gregory F O'Neill
In the matter of Gregory F O’Neill, solicitor, formerly practising as Greg O’Neill, Solicitors, Suite 109, The Capel Building, Mary’s Abbey, Dublin 7, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [3365/DT146/12 an…
strike_off View decision -
Gregory F O'Neill
In the matter of Gregory F O’Neill, solicitor, formerly practising as Greg O’Neill, Solicitors, Suite 109, The Capel Building, Mary’s Abbey, Dublin 7, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [3365/DT124/11 an…
strike_off View decision -
Mark John Linfield
Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Others
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Benny Thomas
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Alexander M Gibbons
In the matter of Alexander M Gibbons, a solicitor previously practising as Gibbons & Company, Solicitors, Riverside, Kent Street, Clonakilty, Co Cork, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [5839/DT56/12 and…
strike_off View decision -
Brian Johnston
In the matter of Brian Johnston, a solicitor, formerly practising as Brian Johnston & Co, Solicitors, 79 Park Street, Dundalk, Co Louth, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2008 [6927/DT95/11 and High Court re…
strike_off View decision -
Brian Johnston
In the matter of Brian Johnston, a solicitor formerly practising as Brian Johnston & Co, Solicitors, 79 Park Street, Dundalk, Co Louth, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2008 [6927/DT95/11 and High Court rec…
strike_off View decision -
Brian Johnston
In the matter of Brian Johnston, a solicitor formerly practising as Brian Johnston & Co, Solicitors, 79 Park Street, Dundalk, Co Louth and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2008 [6927/DT78/09 and High Court reco…
strike_off View decision -
Thomas Crampton
Breaches, Failures, Others
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Kimberley Bridge & John Charles McNabb & Tracy Stansfield & Nicola Roach
Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others
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Katherine MA Ryan
In the matter of Katherine MA Ryan, a solicitor formerly practising under the style and title of Ryan & Company, Solicitors, at 42 Woodley Park, Kilmacud, Dublin 14, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2008 [6…
strike_off View decision -
Katherine MA Ryan
In the matter of Katherine MA Ryan, a solicitor formerly practising under the style and title of Ryan & Company at 42 Woodley Park, Kilmacud, Dublin 14, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2008 [6970/DT35/10; …
strike_off View decision -
Michael Edward French
Breaches, Client Money, Criminal Convictions, Failures, Others, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Andrew Kennedy Horsey
Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Asif Akbar Swati
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Ian Thomas Hall & HALL & CO
Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Others, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Issac Agyemang Baffour
Breaches, Failures, Others
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Katherine MA Ryan
In the matter of Katherine MA Ryan, a solicitor practising under the style and title of Ryan & Company, Solicitors, at 42 Woodley Park, Kilmacud, Dublin 14, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2008 [6970/DT96/…
strike_off View decision -
Charles O'Neill
In the matter of Charles O’Neill, a solicitor formerly practising as Cathal O’Neill & Company, Solicitors, 10 Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2008 [2707/DT81/09 and High…
strike_off View decision -
Matthew Breslin
In the matter of Matthew Breslin, solicitor, practising as Donal J O’Neill & Co, Solicitors, 3 Denny Street, Tralee, Co Kerry, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2008 [7159/DT123/09 and 2011 no 49 SA] Law Soc…
strike_off View decision
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.