Practice Rule 15 (Costs Information and Client Care)

Solicitors shall:

(a) give information about costs and other matters and,

(b) operate a complaints handling procedure,

in accordance with a Solicitors’ Costs Information and Client Care Code made from time to time by the Council of the Law Society with the concurrence of the Master of the Rolls, but subject to the rules.

Notes:

(i) A serious breach of the code, or persistent breaches of a material nature, will be a breach of the rule, and may also be evidence of inadequate professional services under section 37A of the Solicitors Act 1974.

(ii) Material breaches of the code which are not serious or persistent will not be a breach of the rule, but may be evidence of inadequate professional services under section 37A.

(iii) The powers of the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors on finding of inadequate professional services include:

(a) disallowing all or part of the solicitor’s costs; and

(b) directing the solicitor to pay compensation to the client up to a limit of £1,000.

(iv) Non-material breaches of the code will not be a breach of the rule, and will not be evidence of inadequate professional services under section 37A.

(v) Registered foreign lawyers, although subject to Rule 15 as a matter of professional conduct, are not subject to section 37A. However, solicitor partners in a multi-national partnership are subject to section 37A for professional services provided by the firm.

Further information on Client Care care and Rule 15 can be obtained from the Customer Assistance Unit at The Law Society on tel. 0845 606 6565 / fax. 01926 823101.