I read the news item 'Complaints against solicitors rise by a third' (see [2008] Gazette, 8 May, 1) with interest.


I am the complaints partner for my firm in Liverpool and have been for more than 20 years, so I have a comprehensive knowledge of the subject.



There is an overwhelming and totally inaccurate view that consumers are not aware of their rights to complain and therefore do not do anything about the wrongs for which they say solicitors were supposedly responsible.



My experience is that there are a small number of matters where solicitors have acted disgracefully - as in the recent case where a practitioner had stolen more than £1m of his client's money - and should obviously be punished in a way which reflects the grave nature of the breach of duty.



There are many other cases where solicitors may not have done exactly as they should have done (without malicious intent) and the client has suffered loss, in which case of course the client should be financially compensated.



There is, however, a substantial tranche of cases where clients complain because they have lost a case, or are dissatisfied with the amount which they have been awarded, or are simply looking for someone to turn on because matters have not reached the conclusion that they hoped for, and the solicitor is the nearest to hand.



I think that, if we had an in-depth investigation, it would show on the whole that solicitors, to quote 'King Lear', were 'more sinned against than sinning'.



Brian Woodhams, solicitor advocate, Liverpool