In our view a reminder of the complaints process, along with the statutory right to have a court review costs, at the point that it becomes relevant would be massively beneficial to clients. At the outset of the relationship between solicitor and client both are happy with the arrangement and assume that it will work out well. It is only at the end that a client can really measure whether what they have been asked to pay for the service they actually received is reasonable.
The Solicitors Act 1974 is arcane and, though it clearly needs an overhaul, it does still preserve important consumer rights in respect of charging by solicitors, and many of the clients who come to us say that they were completely unaware of the rights that it gave them.
Panel backs making law firms tell clients how to complain at end of cases - Legal Futures
This follows resistance by the Law Society who, though supportive of improvements to first-tier complaints handling, said -
"We do not, however, support requiring information about the complaints process being given at the end of every matter, as this may cause practical difficulties and lead to unwarranted complaints."
Richard Atkinson, Law Society President
SRA plans for law firm complaints handling risk “overregulation” - Legal Futures