LSRA report shows 914 complaints received and 1,021 complaints closed in six-month period
Legal practitioners directed to pay €68,700 to clients in compensation
Litigation costs, fees and settlements complaints highlight the importance of clear costs information from the outset
Over 10,000 complaints about legal practitioners since LSRA began receiving and investigating complaints in 2019
Friday, 30th October 2026: The Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) has today published its latest independent complaints handling report, covering 7 March 2026 to 4 September 2026.
The LSRA received 914 complaints about legal practitioners (solicitors and barristers) during the reporting period, a decrease of 9% on the previous six months. A total of 1,021 complaints were closed in that time.
During the reporting period, legal practitioners were directed by the LSRA to pay a total of €68,700 in compensation to clients and to waive or refund a further €34,713 in legal professional fees charged. Legal practitioners were also directed to pay €7,750 towards the costs incurred by the LSRA in investigating complaints.
This report includes a focused examination of complaints relating to litigation costs, fees and settlements, an area where costs can be significant and where clients are often dealing with stressful and contentious disputes.
Commenting on the publication of the report, Niamh Muldoon, Chief Executive Officer of the LSRA, said: “Categorising our 10,000th complaint during this reporting period is a significant milestone, not only reflecting the substantial work carried out by the LSRA but underlining the importance of a complaints system that is both efficient and accessible.
“Consumers needing to engage the services of a legal practitioner should expect that their solicitor will be upfront regarding legal costs from the very outset. Additionally, solicitors should clearly explain the expected fees and any reason why the fees might change throughout the lifetime of the client’s file. The bill at the end may be costly, but there should be a rationale for the costs and no surprises.
“By identifying recurring issues and sharing practical examples, this report aims to support legal practitioners in delivering services in line with best practice and to help consumers understand the high standards they can reasonably expect when engaging legal services.”
Key findings from complaints received
- Of the 914 complaints received during the reporting period, 875 related to solicitors and 39 to barristers, reflecting the higher number of solicitors and their greater level of contact with consumers.
- A total of 674 complaints (74%) involved a single ground.
- 447 (49%) concerned alleged misconduct only.
- A further 214 (23%) related only to inadequate legal services.
- Complaints about excessive costs only were less common at 13 (1%), although excessive costs featured in a further 115 complaints.
- 240 (26%) complaints were mixed complaints involving more than one ground.
Key findings from complaints closed
- Of the 1,021 complaints closed during the reporting period, 9 (1%) complaints of alleged misconduct were referred by the LSRA’s Complaints Committee to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal (LPDT).
- 260 complaints (25%) were resolved with the assistance of the LSRA, including 13 complaints resolved through the LSRA’s Informal Resolution process with the assistance of trained mediators.
- 89 complaints (9%) were upheld.
- 104 complaints (10%) were not upheld.
- 481 complaints (47%) were deemed to be inadmissible following a statutory assessment.
Recurring issues identified relating to litigation costs, fees and settlements
Complaints relating to litigation costs, fees and settlements are examined in this report, continuing the LSRA’s series of themed complaints reports designed to support legal practitioners in reflecting on their practice and to help consumers better understand the standard of service they should receive.
This report identifies a number of recurring issues including failures to provide clients with a section 150 costs notice at the outset or to update it when costs change, misunderstandings about “no foal, no fee” arrangements, which do not mean a client will have no costs, and deductions made from settlement awards without the client’s written consent.
The report includes anonymised case studies which illustrate how these issues arise in practice and highlight the lessons that can be learned for both legal practitioners and the public.
LSRA High Court enforcement activities
Where a legal practitioner fails to comply with a determination of the LSRA or LPDT, the LSRA can apply to the High Court for an order directing compliance. During the six months covered in this report the LSRA issued 26 pre-action letters seeking compliance within a set timeframe. Enforcement proceedings were then issued in three complaints seeking orders from the High Court directing compliance. In total, the LSRA obtained five orders from the President of the High Court, some of which related to applications which had been issued in the previous reporting period.
The full report is available on the LSRA website here.
The Legal Services Regulatory Authority was established in 2016 and is an independent authority. We are Ireland’s national statutory regulator for both branches of the legal profession – barristers and solicitors. Our mission is to regulate the provision of legal services by barristers and solicitors and to ensure standards are maintained and improved.
ENDS