Recognising problems with a solicitor

Reviewed 25 November 2019

The greatest risks posed to the public and consumers of legal services are fraud, dishonesty and serious misconduct. We guard against these risks.

Check our scam alerts for details of recent and ongoing scams.

Gathering information - contact us

We have a unit dedicated to gathering information and intelligence. If you know - or suspect - that a person or firm regulated by us, or one of their employees, is involved in dishonesty or fraud, contact us immediately.

Any report you make can be treated with strict confidentiality.

What should I report?

Examples of the type of conduct you can report to us:

• Abandonment or sudden closure of a firm or sole practitioner
• Arrest, charge or conviction of a person regulated by us
• Suspected dishonesty
• Fraud
• Financial problems
• A person or firm pretending to be a solicitor, or
• a regulated individual or firm being involved in a scam.
• If you suspect that a law firm or a solicitor is involved with a 'get rich quick' scheme, or if you have become involved with a scheme.
• A legal threat from a solicitor or law firm

We encourage you to contact us immediately—even if you are in doubt about reporting. You can also use our report a solicitor page to send us information.