Changes proposed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to first-tier complaints handling could lead to regulatory overreach, the Law Society has warned. In its response to an SRA consultation, the Society said that research shows 87% of clients to be satisfied with the legal services they received. Such high levels of satisfaction suggest that problems affect only a small proportion of consumers and the Society questions the need for extensive reforms.

Society president Richard Atkinson said: 'We support necessary and proportionate improvements to first-tier complaints handling. However, this must not lead to overregulation by the SRA through unnecessary rule changes or duplication of work already covered by the legal ombudsman (LeO). Little evidence has been produced to demonstrate the necessity for the proposed changes to the SRA rules or the publication of timeliness data. A convincing explanation that regulatory changes would benefit consumers is also lacking