Concerns About a Legal Professional
If you have a concern about a legal professional or law-related organization, the Public Concerns Pathway assists you by providing information, guidance, and self-help tools to inform and help you regarding your concerns.
The Public Concerns Pathway provides information and assistance about common concerns, such as:
- Fees charged by a lawyer or limited licensee
- Quality of service
- Conflict of interest
- Confidentiality
- Withdrawal
- File transfers
- Role of an estate’s legal professional
- Role of an opposing legal professional
- Breach of trust conditions/undertakings
- Conduct of a lawyer or limited licensee in court
- Outside interests of a lawyer or limited licensee
You will answer a few simple questions about your concerns. Based on your answers, you will get information and options tailored to your situation. If your concern is something that falls under the Law Society’s complaints process, the Public Concerns Pathway will guide you to the complaint form.
Complaints Process
The Law Society of Saskatchewan ensures that lawyers and limited licensees in the province follow the rules and perform their duties properly. If the Public Concerns Pathway leads you to the Law Society’s complaint form, it means your concern about a lawyer or limited licensee’s behavior or skills might be something the Law Society can look into.
Remember, the Law Society cannot:
- give legal advice
- find you a lawyer or a limited licensee
- act for you in a legal matter
- decide if a lawyer’s or limited licensee’s fees are fair
- handle complaints about judges, police, or government offices
The Law Society’s role is to discipline lawyers or limited licensees when needed, not to give money or compensation to people who make complaints.
When a complaint is submitted, a Complaints Intake Officer verifies that the complaint is complete. Once the complaint is accepted and checked for completeness, a Professional Responsibility Counsel reviews it to decide if it should be investigated. If the complaint is not suitable for investigation, it will be dismissed early. If it proceeds, the lawyer or limited licensee will be notified and given an opportunity to respond. The person who made the complaint may also be asked for more details. After reviewing everything, the Law Society may:
- Try to help solve the problem.
- Give a formal caution to the lawyer or limited licensee.
- Assign a Practice Advisor to help improve their work.
- Send the complaint to the Ethics, Competency, or Conduct Investigation Committee for review.
- Dismiss the complaint.
If a complaint is dismissed, the person who made the complaint may request a review within 30 days.