The Law Society of England and Wales has warned that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) complaints handling proposals could “increase administrative burden without delivering clear benefits for consumers”.
The SRA recently consulted for a second time on its proposals to change requirements for handling first-tier complaints. In 2025, firms reported receiving more than 41,000 first-tier complaints – the highest number the SRA has recorded since it began collecting data in 2012.
Data from the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) revealed complaints handling had been poor in 46% of the complaints it investigated in the first three quarters of 2025-2026. Issues included inconsistent or complex complaints processes and legal service providers having defensive attitudes when dealing with complaints.
The Law Society, however, has questioned whether further regulatory changes to first-tier complaints handling is necessary due to the rapidly evolving complaints landscape, especially the use of AI to generate complaints.
Law Society president Mark Evans said: “We support the SRA’s intention to improve first-tier complaints handling, but urge the SRA to consider whether now is the right time to introduce new requirements. Existing rules already require complaints to be handled promptly.
“Any reforms implemented must be proportionate, evidence-based and applied in a manner that avoids unnecessary burdens on firms. Additional targeted supervision and intervention may be more effective and less burdensome on firms.”
The Society also expressed concern that the proposed changes may not sufficiently reflect the unique challenges arising from AI-assisted complaints. These challenges include an increase in complaint volumes, complexity, timeframes and the resources required to investigate and resolve concerns at all stages of the complaints process.
In its latest consultation, which closed on 1st September, the SRA said: “We want to be very clear to solicitors and firms about what they need to do to effectively handle complaints and meet our requirements in this area. And what could happen if they do not. We want to support them to get it right and improve outcomes for consumers. Better complaints handling brings benefits for firms and their clients and builds public trust and confidence in legal services.”
