Wednesday, February 25, 2015

OWNED POLL: Law Society ‘scripted’ survey criticised by Scottish Legal Complaints Commission - new data reveals few clients of dodgy lawyers ask legal regulators for help

Law Society poll did not reveal all – SLCC. THE FINDINGS of a Law Society of Scotland survey claiming hard-to-verify client-solicitor satisfaction rates have come in for criticism by the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) – the ‘independent’ regulator of solicitors & legal services in Scotland.

The Law Society poll – published in early January 2015 - claimed Scottish solicitors were highly regarded by the public.

However, the SLCC have now challenged the poll’s findings, claiming high levels of legal service in Scotland are “not a universal experience”. The ‘independent’ SLCC also cited higher compensation awards against rogue solicitors and ‘increasing redress’ provided by the SLCC to wronged clients.

And, in another swipe at the Law Society’s poll dodging, the SLCC has now revealed that only a third of clients polled who were dissatisfied with their solicitor did anything about it, and not one client involved in the poll knew they could refer their complaint to the SLCC.

However, carefully prepared statements avoided any explanation on why the SLCC’s involvement in the poll was kept secret until a media investigation published documents revealing the SLCC's role.

A spokesperson for the SLCC said: “Towards the end of last year, the Law Society of Scotland released the results of a poll of the public’s perceptions of the legal profession. This indicated that, overall, people expressed a high level of satisfaction with solicitors. While we agree that the vast majority of solicitors provide a high level of service, this is unfortunately not a universal experience. As our figures show, we are increasingly providing redress for those clients who receive a poor service from their solicitors – a picture also supported by the record level of compensation awards and refunds of legal fees we highlighted in our last Annual Report.”

The SLCC went on to explain it’s previously secret involvement in the poll, revealing it asked searching questions on how clients react to the provision of poor legal services.

“We were given the opportunity to include questions in the Law Society’s poll. We asked two related questions aimed to assess public awareness of the role of the SLCC. In particular, we wanted to know whether clients who were dissatisfied with the service they had received from their solicitor knew they could bring their concerns to us.

The answers to these questions were revealing. Of those who were dissatisfied with their solicitor: only a third did anything about it; and none knew they could refer their complaint to the SLCC.

Solicitors throughout Scotland have a duty to make their clients aware of the SLCC and how to make a complaint to us. We continue to see evidence that this is not happening – less than 5% of those who complain to us say that they found out about us from their solicitor. We are concerned that, as a result, the voices of many dissatisfied clients are just not being heard. As a priority, we are currently working with the Law Society to ensure that all solicitors provide clear and consistent sign-posting to our service.

Clearly there is also more work that we, as an organisation, need to do to increase public awareness of the SLCC. Our Consumer Panel, newly-established this year, will be looking at how we can make sure that, on the occasions where things do go wrong and fail to be resolved, the public knows to bring those concerns to us.  Our half year results show that when this does happen - we can help put things right.”

Complaints slightly down – SLCC statistics for first half of 2014/15. Alongside the SLCC’s attempt to clear the air on their involvement in what some legal insiders have referred to as a “vanity survey”, the SLCC released complaints statistics for the first half of the operational year, showing a slight drop in complaints.

The SLCC said: “The headline figures for the first half of the SLCC’s operational year show that, overall, the number of complaints we receive is declining, reflecting a continuing trend which we have highlighted in previous years.

More importantly, however, we note the proportion of those complaints which are either accepted as eligible complaints or resolved by us during our eligibility process. They represent almost 60% of all received complaints (up from just over 40% in the corresponding period in 2013).

It’s also clear from the figures that the number of accepted complaints which are then either resolved or upheld in favour of the complainer has also increased – 115 complaints compared to 97 in 2013.”

Responding to the SLCC’s criticisms, the Law Society’s Chief Executive – Lorna Jack – said: “In the vast majority of cases, solicitors’ clients are happy with the advice and the level of service they receive. However we know that things do go wrong from time to time and it is important that people have proper recourse to address any failings through a strong legal complaints system.”

“Dealing with complaints is and will always be difficult for everyone involved. What we want to ensure is that the process in place is robust and fair to both complainer and solicitor, and that we reach the right outcome.We will work with the SLCC to ensure that the legal complaints system in Scotland continues to improve.”

The Law Society did not comment on why the involvement of the SLCC was withheld from statements released by the Law Society along with articles written for newspapers during January by the Law Society’s own President – Alistair Morris.

The research carried out by IPSOS MORI for the Law Society of Scotland claimed that of clients who had used a solicitor in the past five years - more than 90% “of respondents” said their own lawyer was either very trustworthy (70%) or fairly trustworthy (27%), with 87% describing solicitors overall as very or fairly trustworthy.

However, no detailed material has been made available which could verify the claims, or identify which solicitors or law firms were involved. It has also emerged some solicitors and law firms were provided with scripted responses by the Law Society to answer questions from the pollsters.

Legal insiders also point out the SLCC’s admission of involvement in the ‘rigged’ poll only came about after the publication of heavily redacted communications between the SLCC & Law Society which revealed both regulators discussed how to frame questions for the survey. The now published documents also revealed the Law Society demanded all material handed to the SLCC regarding the poll was not to be released to the public or media.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Must admit Peter it is fun to watch these idiots run around in circles after you bust them out for their nefarious activities!

However it is obvious there is something up because the SLCC have still not published the actual text of their questions even after being forced to crawl out from under their Law Society masters and admit the polling fit up.

Anonymous said...

Then why not just come clean in the first place instead of all this secrecy and lies.

Proves to anyone with a brain in their head you just cannot trust the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.

Anonymous said...

"The Law Society did not comment on why the involvement of the SLCC was withheld from statements released by the Law Society along with articles written for newspapers during January by the Law Society’s own President – Alistair Morris."

Some newspapers should check out the facts before allowing lies and misdirection from the legal fraternity to fill their pages.

Anonymous said...

Not a universal experience eh?

Given the way slcc treat people who complain the same applies to them and more.They are all rotten to the core.

Anonymous said...

The Law Society probably wrote the slcc's statement!

Anonymous said...

"Of those who were dissatisfied with their solicitor: only a third did anything about it; and none knew they could refer their complaint to the SLCC."

Really?

So the true number of complaints against lawyers should be three times what we currently have and surprise no one is telling people they can complain or seek redress via the stooge slcc who are just happy to sit there and wave through crooked lawyer after crooked lawyer.

Anonymous said...

When the Law Society of Scotland and the SLCC are both widely regarded as corrupt, lying and deceitful organisations, why would the Scottish Public believe a single word either of them say?

Anonymous said...

A friend received an unsolicited telephone call from a Law Society of Scotland staff member wanting to ask 'feedback' questions after her case was resolved.

My friend asked why the Law Society of Scotland needed feedback and the response was that out of the questions asked, all they needed was one answer in the affirmative to enable the Law Society of Scotland to satisfy the SLCC of proof of statistics

Anonymous said...

Poll rigging is a nasty habit and one expected of the legal profession.

You busted them well with your foi.Good work.Now they are scrambling to pat each other on the back for their corruption.

Who the hell believes the public think highly of solicitors.This is just stupid legal propaganda much like trying to make someone believe people think highly of bankers!

Diary of Injustice said...

@ 25 February 2015 at 10:21

Good point regarding the lack of inclusion of the actual survey questions in the SLCC's statement.

The SLCC should now release all documents relating to their involvement in an unredacted format.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

"The Law Society did not comment on why the involvement of the SLCC was withheld from statements released by the Law Society along with articles written for newspapers during January by the Law Society’s own President – Alistair Morris."

Some newspapers should check out the facts before allowing lies and misdirection from the legal fraternity to fill their pages.

25 February 2015 at 11:01

AGREE 100%!

Anonymous said...

If the SLCC wanted to ask these kinds of questions why did it not undertake a poll on its own instead of becoming involved in the Law Society's spin campaign to promote lawyers.

Anonymous said...

Who cares and who is stupid enough to believe anything said by the Law Society of Scotland or the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (one in the same)

If people are such idiots and they keep running to lawyers then they get ripped off and cant do anything about it it is THEIR fault for trusting some lying rat in the first place.

At least thanks to you those of us with brains know not to trust anything a lawyer says and looking through your history of the slcc and Law Society I'd say you wiped out their credibility a long time ago.

Anonymous said...

SLCC not to be believed on anything they say I have spent months trying to agree wording of a complaint about my solicitor and all they do is play for time a very upsetting experience akin to abuse and they know it

Anonymous said...

This sounds like an exercise by the 'independent' SLCC attemtping to "close the stable door after the horse the horse has bolted".

Thanks to the DOI's reporting - and only the DOI's reporting - we know that the SLCC was up to its neck in this rigged survey.

Another feather in your cap DOI !



Anonymous said...

Not very honest conduct from a regulator is it when it takes the press to break up their bogus poll racket.

Also why are the SLCC involving themselves in polls about satisfaction with lawyers when they must know themselves no one is really satisfied with a lawyer when they find out they have been ripped off.

Anonymous said...

Some explanations are due here from the SLCC on what they are up to and why they keep doing business with the Law Society!

Anonymous said...

Those stats in the file come from the SLCC,right?

If so how can we believe them given they seem to be run by the Law Society cabal.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

Then why not just come clean in the first place instead of all this secrecy and lies.

Proves to anyone with a brain in their head you just cannot trust the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.

25 February 2015 at 10:56

Lawyers and their so-called regulators do not "come clean" about anything.Ever.
They instinctively lie no matter the subject.

Anonymous said...

Partners in crime.

Anonymous said...

The Law Society of Scotland is to transparency what Capercaillie shooting is to bird preservation?

Anonymous said...

The Law Society of Scotland IS the SLCC