How to complain about a legal practitioner (solicitor, barrister and in some cases a licensed conveyancer)
When you can't get your service provider to address your complaint, Complaintline helps with how to complain and get results
ACT
For complaints about both solicitors and barristers in the ACT
NSW
Office of the Legal Services Commissioner (LSC)
The Commissioner takes complaints about solicitors, barristers and licensed conveyancers in NSW, and can investigate or mediate a complaint or refer it to the Law Society, the Bar Association or the NSW Department of Fair Trading.
Other useful information:
NT
Law Society of the Northern Territory
The Legal Practitioners Act (NT) provides for the Law Society to be the first tier of a three tiered
system of regulation of the legal profession comprising the Law Society, the Legal Practitioners’ Complaints Committee and the Supreme Court. The Society will investigate all complaints and refer the serious matters to the Legal Practitioners’ Complaints Committee.
QLD
Legal Services Commission (LSC)
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is an independent statutory body that deals with complaints about the conduct of lawyers and law firms.
Other useful information:
- Regulatory guides can help you understand a lawyer's professional obligations
Additional information from the Queensland Law Society (QLS) website:
Qld Law Society's What to do if you have concerns about your solicitor
SA
Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner (LPCC)
The Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner is an independent statutory agency of the Crown.
The Commissioner helps to regulate the standards of South Australia’s legal profession by dealing fairly and efficiently with complaints about lawyers, and investigating any suspected misconduct by lawyers. As part of the State Government’s legal profession reforms, the LPCC replaced the former Legal Practitioners Conduct Board on 1 July 2014.
Other useful information:
- Complaints process (misconduct)
- Complaints process (over-charging)
TAS
Legal Profession Board of Tasmania
The Legal Profession Board of Tasmania is the independent statutory body responsible for receiving and investigating complaints about the conduct of lawyers.
VIC
Legal Services Board + Commissioner
The Victorian Legal Services Commissioner was originally established in 2005 under the Legal Profession Act 2004. The functions and powers of the Commissioner now come under the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014. The Commissioner’s core function is to receive and handle complaints about lawyers. In addition to this the Commissioner has an important educative role.
Other useful information:
If your complaint is about a conveyancer, this information on the website of the Legal Services Board will help you work out whether to contact the Legal Services Commissioner or Consumer Affairs Victoria.
WA
Legal Profession Complaints Committee
The Committee has statutory responsibility to deal with complaints against legal practitioners in WA. It is an independent statutory committee of the Legal Practice Board.
Other useful information:
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