Law Society's Complaints Handling Plans Deemed Adequate

by Robin Pilgrim, LawAndTax-News.com, London

19 April 2007

The UK's Legal Services Complaints Commissioner, Zahida Manzoor on Tuesday declared the Law Society's complaints handling plan for the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 to be adequate.

The declaration is likely to have come as something of a shock for the legal profession's representative body, which over the past few years has been more used to defending itself against accusations of inadequate complaints handling levelled at it by the LSCC.

The newly agreed complaints handling plan follows a period of detailed discussions between the Office of the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner and the Law Society.

Ms Manzoor commented:

"I believe the greater collaborative approach adopted by the Law Society this year has been fundamental to producing a complaints handling Plan for 2007/08, which not only focuses on improving the processes and procedures of the Law Society but more importantly its wider business improvements."

The Commissioner asked the Law Society to include in its Plan the key deliverables from the Legal Complaints Service and Solicitors Regulation Authority Improvement Agendas.

Speaking with regard to the plan, the Commissioner stated:

"This is the first year I can recall where the Law Society has committed to delivering wider business improvements which better serve the needs of all its users and I look forward during the Plan year to seeing the potential benefits being realised for the consumer, profession and the Law Society."

However, she also sounded a note of caution in agreeing the plan by pointing out the importance of the Law Society being more proactive in managing performance against the targets and delivery of its plan earlier in the year.

Ms Manzoor observed that:

"Since I was appointed as Commissioner two years ago a reactive approach by the Law Society has resulted in effort being made during the latter part of the year once there has been realisation that some targets are unlikely to be met. This approach has been unsatisfactory and would not be acceptable in future years."

She concluded:

"With the proposals for the new Office for Legal Complaints, although not envisaged to be in place until 2010, it is imperative that a step change in the handling of complaints by the Law Society is made to ensure improvements are delivered sooner. "

The targets set by the Commissioner and contained in the Law Society's plan for the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 include:

Timeliness

• By the end of March 2008, to have no more than 65 cases that have been open for 12 months or more; and
• 67% of cases to be closed within 3 months .

Quality of decisions

• 93 % of complaints to be acknowledged with 5 working days of receipt;
• 88% of complaints to receive a substantive response within 45 days of receipt;
• 88% of complaints to meet the specified contact requirements; and
• 73% or more of referrals to the Legal Services Ombudsman (LSO) in which the LSO upholds the handling of the case by the Law Society.

Implementing the Law Society's agreed Plan

• The Law Society will use at least 95% of its authorised budget to deliver the content of the Plan; and
• The Law Society will use at least 95% of its authorised resource to deliver the content of the Plan.

Recommended