Clients give solicitors high marks in survey

Clients are highly satisfied with the expertise and performance of their solicitors, according to independent research released by the Law Society last weekend at its annual conference.

The results were especially good for solicitors engaged in state-funded work.

The Society-commissioned research showed that 87% of legally aided clients surveyed rated their solicitors and their firms as 'good or very good'.

The overall satisfaction rate for solicitors working across the spectrum of practice areas was only slightly lower.

Some 83% rated their solicitors as being good or very good; 81% gave the solicitors' firm they used the same rating, and the same percentage thought their lawyer was 'extremely or very knowledgeable'.

BMRB International surveyed 1,500 adults who had used a law firm in the last year for domestic/personal matters.

Announcing the results in his speech to the annual Law Society conference,Society President Michael Napier hailed the overall satisfaction level, but added: 'We must do even better.'

Indeed, there were some warning bells in the survey figures.

Some 16% of respondents said their bill was 'poor or very poor value for money'.

Another 8% had made a complaint of some kind about the service they had received.

'The percentage of time when we do not get it right has a high reputation cost and a high business cost,' Mr Napier told delegates in the main hall at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

'Solicitors must be affordable, efficient, approachable and fair - as with any other business, the customer is king.'

The results - not yet published in full - were broadly welcomed by the Consumers' Association.

A spokeswoman said: 'The results show there have been steps in the right direction.

But there is still some work to do regarding client care and in-house complaints-handling.'

Mr Napier also used his speech to criticise the government on several fronts.

He again hit out regarding the appointment of judges, imploring the Lord Chancellor 'to go the whole hog by setting up a judicial appointments commission'.

This would, he said, 'ensure diverse selection on the surface of a level playing field that is visible for all to see'.

Using the survey results as a backdrop, Mr Napier hit out at the government over fees for state-funded work.

'Unless the government and the Legal Services Commission provide proper incentives for firms to continue doing this crucial public work...

community lawyers will vote with their feet,' he said.

He also focused on the proposed salaried defence service, saying 'it must include equality of arms between prosecution and defence, guaranteed freedom of choice for clients and a level playing field between private practice firms and the salaried defence service firm'.