Providing a proper standard of service to clients is a fundamental principle for solicitors which underpins the rule of law and the proper administration of justice, whilst simultaneously building trust and confidence in the legal profession and the services provided.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has consulted on proposals to change their requirements on how first tier complaints are handled [1], to include when and how complaints information is provided to clients.
To build on the consultation, the SRA carried out a thematic review between January 2025 through to March 2025, which included visiting 25 firms, reviewing 50 complaint files and surveying 750 firms of varying sizes and specialities to understand how law firms were recognising, dealing and learning from the first tier complaints process. The findings from the thematic review were published on 14 October 2025[2] (Thematic Review) and highlights ongoing challenges and areas for improvement for managing client complaints.
What is a first tier complaint?
If a client is dissatisfied with their law firm’s service they can raise their complaint directly with the firm in the first instance, known as a 'first tier complaint'. The law firm has eight weeks from the date they receive the complaint to provide their client with a final written response. In the event that the firm is unable to resolve the complaint to the client's satisfaction, clients can then refer the matter to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) to investigate.
Complaints landscape
Law firms must ensure that the services they provide are competent and timely, and take into consideration their clients' attributes, needs and circumstances. Despite striving for excellence, law firms will inevitably face occasional complaints from their clients. However, it is how these complaints are understood and responded to which clients often remember the most.
Generally, law firms resolve clients’ complaints at the first tier stage without the need for LeO or SRA intervention. However, there is evidence from the SRA’s compliance monitoring processes and stakeholders such as LeO, to suggest that the first tier complaints handling process requires improvement.
LeO’s Annual Report and Accounts 2024/2025 identified that during the period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 10,447 new complaints were received.[3] LeO found evidence of poor service in 69.5% of complaints investigated, and inadequate complaints handling processes were identified in just under half of the complaints received. The most common legal practice areas where complaints arose were from highly emotive disciplines, such as residential conveyancing (29.9%), wills and probate (15.6%), personal injury (14.1%) and family (11.3%), with over 50% of the complaints being caused by poor communication and delay.
The key findings from the Thematic Review
Turning to the key questions being considered as part of the Thematic Review:-
Conclusion
The next steps by the SRA in relation to improving complaints handling include seeking formal approval from the LSB of the following regulatory changes:-
- when complaints information must be provided to clients;
- require complaints information to be visible and accessible, including being located on law firms’ websites in a prominent place; and
- include the LSB’s definition of a complaint in the SRA’s glossary of defined terms.
Updated guidance is to be published to support law firms improve their complaints handling process, build trust, resolve issues more efficiently and deliver a client centric service.
What is clear from the Thematic Review is that overall the legal profession handle client complaints effectively. However, greater consistency, accessibility and reflection is needed, and a tailored approach is required as each client and situation are unique.
Footnotes
- Solicitors Regulation Authority. (October, 14, 2025). Closed Consultation Changing our requirements on first-tier complaints. Retrieved from: Return to article
- Solicitors Regulation Authority. (October, 14, 2025). A thematic review of first-tier complaints handling. Retrieved from: Return to article
- Legal Ombudsman. (July, 8, 2025). Office for Legal Complaints Annual Report and Accounts 2024/25. Retrieved from: Return to article
- Legal Ombudsman. (July, 30, 2025). OLC proposes inflation linked increase to LEO’s case fee. Retrieved from: Return to article
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