What you can complain to Resolution about

We can take complaints about members who have worked outside our Code of Practice.

We can deal with your complaint if:

• You have exhausted the internal complaints procedure with the firm concerned.
• There are no ongoing proceedings or negotiations.
• You have not sued for negligence, and you do not intend to sue for negligence.
• The complaint should not more properly be dealt with by a regulator or the court*
• The matter your complaint relates to completed within the last 12 months.
• It does not relate to an issue we’ve already dealt with.

*Resolution has no authority to deal with those matters that relate to regulation or court rules, such as delays, costs,  negligence or other professional misconduct such as lying or misrepresenting facts.

If you don’t think your complaint relates to our Code of Practice, another organisation might be able to help:

• If your complaint is about a solicitor, you can contact the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
• If you have a complaint about a barrister you can contact the Bar Standards Board.
• If your complaint is about a Legal Executive, you can make a complaint to the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx).
• The Legal Ombudsman is an independent and impartial organisation that can investigate complaints and – if it is not possible to resolve the problem – they have the power to reduce a lawyer’s bill or order the lawyer to pay you compensation.
•  If a mediator has breached the Family Mediation Council Code of Practice  you need to contact them directly.

We have produced a flowchart to help you consider where to direct your complaint: