Complaint handling in legal services “not good enough”, says consumer panel

The Legal Services Consumer Panel has urged “robust regulatory intervention” to create consistent standards in complaint handling across the legal profession, following publication of its annual tracker survey of consumer experiences in the legal services market.

It said that lack of trust was the number one reason (33%) that consumers who knew how to complain gave for not wanting to raise a problem directly with their lawyer, followed by a fear it would delay things (32%) or affect their bill (28%).

“Consumers who do not trust their lawyer to respond appropriately to a complaint will find it difficult to get the service they want,” the panel said. “Regulators need to ensure consumers can advocate for themselves and help lawyers understand the positive value of consumer feedback.”

Panel chair Tom Hayhoe said: “Legal services providers need to improve their processes for handling complaints, and do so quickly. Clear routes and speedy resolution of complaints are the minimum.

“Together regulators should mandate standardised language that ensures consumers know how to complain, understand the procedures and are assured that complaints will be handled professionally.

“Publishing first tier complaints to law firms will also help drive improvement in the sector. Regulators must act now.”

Other key findings of survey, which has been going since 2012 and this year spoke to 3,633 adults who had used a legal service in the previous two years, were:

• Satisfaction with the service provided by legal services providers has increased to 87% for the first time, up from 85% in 2023;
• Satisfaction with the outcome of the case is higher than with the service and, at 89%, is in line with the peak (89%) recorded in 2021;
• 45% of legal services consumers had their services delivered face-to-face (vs 43% in 2023), consistent with levels reported prior to the pandemic;
• Consumers from the C2DE social grade were more likely to have used face-to-face legal services (49%, compared to 44% for ABC1s) and more likely to say having the option to meet face-to-face was important (74% vs 71% for the total sample);
• 73% of consumers funded their legal services themselves or with the help of family or friends (vs 71% in 2023); this figure has increased over the long term from 56% in 2012;
• 41% of consumers shopped around for a legal service provider this year (vs 39% in 2023);
• The proportion of those shopping around reporting seeing information on services, staff descriptions or estimated timelines published on providers’ websites has declined to 61% (vs 66% in 2023); and
• Consumers continued to find the price primarily through a discussion with the provider (62% vs 60% in 2023).