THE Law Society handled 1,249 public complaints against solicitors this year alleging misconduct, excessive fees and inadequate professional services.
This figure is contained in the annual report of the society's council, which says the failure of solicitors to communicate both with their clients and the society is the "single biggest category of complaint".
The society's registrar's committee handled 1,249 of 1,434 complaints received, as 185 of them fell outside its remit. It referred 11 cases to its disciplinary tribunal.
Six solicitors' practices were wound up by the society and seven practitioners had their practising certificates suspended or refused. The society initiated three High Court applications for orders to freeze bank accounts. Five solicitors were referred to the High Court's disciplinary tribunal.
Of the complaints handled, 724 alleged misconduct and 266 alleged excessive fees. Allegations of inadequate professional services accounted for 259 complaints.
Five of the matters considered by the society's disciplinary tribunal concerned breach of undertaking, two were due to alleged failure to account, three related to delay/failure to communicate and one involved delay/falsification of documents.
The committee's chairman, Mr Owen Binchy, says in the report: "Once again, failure on the part of solicitors to communicate both with their clients and with the Society constitutes the biggest single category of complaint.
"On more than one occasion, the committee has considered complaints where the solicitor has provided an excellent service to his client, but his failure to communicate the progress made and to respond to the client's requests for information have ultimately led to a breakdown of the solicitor/client relationship, the loss of that client (and any potential referrals) and a complaint to the society."