Complaints about a lawyer

You have the right to make a complaint about a lawyer or legal service.

Examples of complaints about a lawyer might include:

• Your lawyer has done something in your case without your consent or without making sure you understood it properly
• Your lawyer is not communicating with you
• Your lawyer has said things in court that were not true
• Your lawyer has charged you too much for their service

You can make a complaint about a lawyer or legal service to the Victorian Legal Services Board (VLSB).

There are three types of complaints you can make to the VLSB:

1. Complaints about the quality of the service you got from a lawyer
2. Complaints about the conduct or behaviour of any lawyer (even if it was not your lawyer)
3. Complaints about the costs charged by your lawyer

The VLSB cannot help with complaints where:

• The lawyer has already sued you for unpaid bills
• Your complaint is about non-legal services provided by your lawyer (e.g. if your lawyer referred you to a counsellor that you were not happy with)
• The complaint is about a Judge, Magistrate or court staff member (these complaints need to be made to the Judicial Commission of Victoria)

Important: the VLSB will only step in after you have already spoken directly with your lawyer, unless it was not a reasonable option for you (for example, if you do not feel safe or they are not responding to your requests to speak).

For more information on making a complaint to the VLSB, use the links on the left side of this page:

• Making a complaint about a lawyer or legal service
• What happens after I make a complaint to the Victorian Legal Services Board (VLSB)?
• What happens after the VLSB starts an investigation?
• What can I do if I am unhappy about a decision made by the VLSB?

Source: VLSB website