This Week in Law: Legal Salary Increases, Spending Reviews, Bounce Back Loan Frauds, and More

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Consumer Panel Raises Alarm Over Complaint Awareness

The Legal Services Consumer Panel has expressed deep concern after its latest tracker survey revealed that many clients still don’t understand how to complain about poor service from lawyers.

• 51% of clients said they knew how to make a complaint.
• Only 48% of those would raise it with the law firm first, as required before going to the Legal Ombudsman.
• 28% were unsure, and 21% didn’t know how to complain at all.
• Reasons for not complaining included distrust, fear of costs rising, and difficulty contacting the firm.

The Panel supports an SRA proposal for firms to signpost complaint information at the end of a matter, not just the start, and has called for standardised complaints procedures across the sector. Now is the time to review how your firm presents complaints info to clients, particularly at matter conclusion, as regulatory expectations tighten.

Check out this article from The Law Society Gazette here.

DLA Piper Joins NQ Salary Race With 18% London Increase

DLA Piper has joined the City pay race, announcing an 18% salary increase for newly qualified solicitors in London. From September:

• London NQs will earn £130,000, up from £110,000.
• NQs in regional offices will receive £82,000, a 9.3% increase.
• Trainees in London will earn £52,000 (Year 1) and £57,000 (Year 2).
• Regional trainees will receive £35,500 (Year 1) and £39,000 (Year 2).

Rising NQ and trainee salaries may widen the gap between global and mid-market firms. Firms outside the City may need to focus on alternative attraction strategies like flexible working, training, or progression.

See more on the story here.

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