SLCC issues family law consumer guide
A guide for the public on family law, the practice area which produces the second biggest number of complaints against solicitors, has been published by the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission.
Complaints arising from family law transactions account for one in five of all complaints to the Commission. In response, the Commission has released the guide, aimed at helping consumers avoid running into difficulties with their family law solicitor.
The short guide has 10 tips for consumers and follows on from a previous guide on buying and selling a home, the area of law which leads to the biggest number of complaints.
Launching the guide, the Commission’s head of oversight, David Buchanan-Cook, commented: “As with so many other types of legal services that consumers use, family law is often a distress purchase, brought on by stressful and emotionally difficult circumstances. This guide aims to inform and empower consumers who find themselves in this situation.”
The guide comes as the SLCC hosted the first meeting of its new consumer panel, an independent advisory body convened to assist the SLCC in ensuring that the consumer viewpoint is heard and understood throughout the SLCC’s processes.