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The article suggests that standardisation of complaints handling must invariably be a good thing in the context of legal practice. I beg to differ.

First, the idea of a ‘standard template’ for complaints will, in my opinion, reinforce one of the fundamental flaws of the Legal Services Act, that regulation of legal services must (among other things) be viewed through the prism of consumerism, even though the law is complex and vast. Standardising complaint procedures would reinforce the idea that the law can be commoditised, diminishing the professional standing of lawyers who have spent many years qualifying.

Secondly, clients or ‘consumers’ (to use regulators’ preferred terminology) can experience crises in their lives, be irrational or just be wrong. Some clients can and will develop threatening behaviour.

In conveyancing, vested interests encourage unrealistic client expectations, leading to an unhealthy Amazonisation of conveyancing even as regulators are making property lawyers' lives more difficult.

Because of regulatory fatigue, the comment that the ‘model procedure’ will come with ‘detailed guidance materials, template letters and toolkits for firms’ will not be a cause for celebration in most law firms.