MORE than £1000 a day is handed out as compensation for complaints about the Scottish legal profession, a report has revealed.
Figures from the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (SLCC) show that more than £365,000 was awarded for complaints about solicitors and advocates in 2013/14.
This is an increase of £115,000 on the previous year, despite fewer complaints being wholly or partly upheld this year compared to 2012/13.
Matthew Vickers, SLCC's chief executive, said: "The vast majority of the legal profession in Scotland provide great service to the public, but where things do go wrong the SLCC takes firm and decisive action to put things right.
"We're ready to use the full extent of our powers to enforce our decisions and make sure awards are paid out where they are due. 65 per cent of the complaints about service which we accept are resolved or upheld."
The report shows that a total of 1024 complaints were received by the SLCC in 2013/14, with conveyancing, family law and executries (corr), wills and trusts showing up as the biggest areas of complaint.
A total of 1005 complaints were received about solicitors, while just 19 cases related to advocates.
Lorna Jack, chief executive of the Law Society of Scotland said: "It is essential that a solicitor's clients can seek recourse if in the rare event something goes wrong.
"Equally important is that we, as a solicitors' professional body, continue to work with the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission to ensure that our members provide the highest quality service and advice for their clients.
"£365,000 is a significant sum of money, but it has to be looked at in the context of the work solicitors do each year.
"There are now 11,000 Scottish solicitors, carrying out many thousands of transactions each year on behalf of their clients, with the work they do generating over £1 billion for the economy each year.
"There were 315 eligible complaints made against solicitors in 2014, a drop from last year's 365 complaints.
"We of course want to see this figure reduce further and will work with our members and the SLCC to ensure that solicitors meet the high standards expected of them."
The Faculty of Advocates added that, while the number of complaints against advocates was low, it is working to review its disciplinary procedures in partnership with the SLCC.
A faculty spokesman said: "The number of complaints to the SLCC about advocates is very small indeed - of 19 complaints received about advocates during the year under review, only four were found to be eligible. There is never room for complacency.
"The Faculty is in the course of revising its complaints and disciplinary procedures. We have prepared guidance jointly with the SLCC and we look forward to continuing our positive and constructive working relationship with the Commission.
"The work of advocates is integral to the rule of law in Scotland, and the Faculty of Advocates is committed to promoting the provision by its members of high quality legal services."
The SLCC added that it has published guidance for the public on using legal services in the hope that it may prevent future complaints from happening.
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