Prevention must follow cure

The Legal Services Ombudsman's annual report is perhaps the last wake-up call for solicitors who wish to retain control over complaints handling.Ann Abraham's message to the Law Society is: strategic thinking must be combined with consistently high levels of investment.The Society and solicitors should not view as a one-off the recent 6 million injection to the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors (OSS).

Efficient complaints-handling needs sustained investment.

Also part of the message is Ms Abraham's view that clearing the backlog of complaints is only the first step down a long road.

Even more arduous will be the task of convincing practitioners to adopt effective client care practices.

There needs to be on-going research into what clients think of their solicitors, what causes complaints, and how they can best be resolved.Doom-mongers should not hail the report as the death knell of the OSS.

Ms Abraham says it 'has not failed yet'.

Indeed, she has encouraging words for some Law Society initiatives, notably the efforts of the regulation review and the future of regulation working parties.

The LSO's points have been taken on board already at Chancery Lane, with the newly-elected President saying his top priority in office will be to ensure that not only does the OSS reach its targets but that the Law Society will double its efforts to encourage good client care practices throughout the profession.