Regulation and standards
All Law Society of Scotland members are expected to work to and
maintain high standards of service and conduct. Through its regulatory and
other services, the Society defines and promotes standards of
conduct and service to members and their clients.
Regulation Department
The Regulation Department carries out a wide range of work to
promote and maintain high standards for
solicitors and their clients.
Changes to the system for handling complaints against solicitors
have resulted in all complaints being sent to the Scottish Legal
Complaints Commission in the first instance. All conduct complaints
are referred back to the Society's Complaints Investigation Team
and considered by the Professional Conduct Committee. Serious cases
are referred to the Scottish Solicitors' Discipline Tribunal.
The Society's Regulation Liaison Team provides information and
support to the solicitors on handling and preventing complaints. See
here for more information.
The Financial Compliance Team
inspects the accounts of firms and handles claims arising from the
Guarantee
Fund, which can reimburse solicitors' clients who have
suffered monetary loss because of the dishonesty of a solicitor or
his or her staff. See here for more information.
The Society's Interventions Team assists solicitors' clients
where a solicitor has ceased trading without making arrangements
for outstanding work and client files. On the rare occasion that it
is suspected client money is missing from a firm, the Society can
ask the Court of Session to appoint the Judicial Factor to
safeguard the interests of clients. Both the Interventions
Department and the Judicial Factor liaise with clients and, where
necessary, put them in touch with other solicitors.
The department is also responsible for the civil
legal aid quality assurance scheme which applies to all
firms who provide civil legal aid services to clients.