The report provides details of the number and nature of complaints about legal practitioners (solicitors and barristers) received and investigated during the reporting period of 7 September 2024 to 7 March 2025. 

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, practitioners were directed to refund or waive a total of €12,982 in fees.

The LSRA can receive and investigate three types of complaint: about inadequate legal services, excessive costs (overcharging) and misconduct. 

In the reporting period, the LSRA’s Complaints and Resolutions Unit received a total of 829 complaints. A total of 801 related to solicitors and 28 related to barristers, reflecting the higher number of solicitors and their greater level of contact with consumers. Multiple complaints may be brought against an individual legal practitioner. 

Of the total:

• 453 complaints (55 per cent) were about alleged misconduct only.
• 179 complaints (22 per cent) related only to legal services of an inadequate standard.
• 13 complaints (2 per cent) came under the category of excessive costs (overcharging).
• 184 complaints (22 per cent) were mixed complaints, with a combination of misconduct, inadequate legal services and excessive costs.

The 839 complaints closed in this reporting period include:

• 290 (33 per cent) inadmissible complaints.
• 244 (29 per cent) complaints 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.
• 96 (11 per cent) upheld complaints.
• 108 (13 per cent) not upheld complaints.
• 41 (5 per cent) of complaints of alleged misconduct were referred by the Complaints Committee of the LSRA to the separate Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.

The report details the LSRA’s High Court enforcement activities against solicitors who did not comply with its directions or determinations in complaints made about them. During the six month period covered in the report:

• A total of 18 pre-action letters were issued to legal practitioners seeking their compliance with LSRA directions or determinations within a set time period of time.
• Nine enforcement proceedings were issued seeking orders from the High Court directing compliance by legal practitioners with LSRA directions or determinations.
• The LSRA obtained 13 High Court orders.

Today’s report has a focus on the area of family law with themes, case studies and lessons for legal practitioners and the public that have emerged from complaints in that area. Future LSRA complaints reports will focus on the legal services areas of conveyancing, probate and wills, and litigation.

LSRA chief executive Dr Brian Doherty said: “In this report we focus 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.

“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.

“For clients, we stress the need to provide clear instructions, preferably in a single document, and to avoid multiple or repetitious emails to their solicitors which may in fact increase the costs incurred. We also emphasise the pressure and impact that family law proceedings can have on the parties to the proceedings as well as their legal practitioners, and advise legal practitioners to be mindful of their own well-being to avoid burn out.”