Solicitors have been told by a regulatory body to provide “clear and ongoing” information about legal costs to their clients involved in family law proceedings.
Seven per cent of the total number of complaints received by the legal watchdog concern family law, new data shows.
Almost 829 complaints were made to the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) in six months, while 839 complaints were closed in the same reporting period.
The report provides details of the number and nature of complaints about legal practitioners received and investigated between September 7th last year to March 7th.
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Brian Doherty, the authority’s chief executive, said the report focused on the area of family law.
“That is not to say that family law attracts a disproportionate number of complaints when compared to other areas of law – in fact family law complaints make up only around 7 per cent of the total complaints received by the LSRA,” he said.
“In focusing on this one area of law and the complaints that we have received, we hope to provide information that will assist legal practitioners and clients alike.
“To that end, we highlight the need for solicitors to provide clear and ongoing information in relation to their costs to their clients in family law proceedings.
“Based on the complaints received, this is a clear area where legal practitioners could improve their communications.”
The LSRA’s first report of 2025 shows that 55 per cent or 453 complaints about solicitors and barristers concerned alleged misconduct, 179 complaints or about a fifth related to legal services of an inadequate standard and 184 complaints, also about a fifth, were mixed complaints with a combination of misconduct, inadequate legal services and excessive costs.
Another 13 complaints or 2 per cent came under the category of excessive costs or overcharging.
A total of 801 related to solicitors and 28 related to barristers, reflecting solicitors having a greater level of contact with consumers. Multiple complaints may be brought against an individual legal practitioner.
Mr Doherty said the authority wanted to “emphasise the pressure and impact that family law proceedings can have” on those involved in the proceedings as well as their legal practitioners. The chief executive warned legal practitioners to be “mindful of their own wellbeing to avoid burn out”.
Overall, legal practitioners were directed by the LSRA to pay a total of €88,300 in compensation to their clients in the reporting period. In addition, legal practitioners were instructed to refund or waive a total of €12,982 in fees.
The 839 complaints closed during the period include 290 which were inadmissible, and 244 were resolved with the assistance of the LSRA, including 27 complaints resolved in the LSRA’s informal resolution process with the help of its trained mediators.
A further 96 complaints were upheld and 108 were not upheld, while 41 of complaints of alleged misconduct were referred to the separate Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.
