Law Society ‘could have done more on complaints of overcharging’

FALLOUT from the alleged practice among some lawyers of double-charging clients in residential institutional abuse cases could have been avoided if the Law Society had been more proactive in dealing with complaints, according to the Residential Institutions Redress Board (RIRB).

The RIRB yesterday welcomed the fact that the Law Society is engaged in seeking out and adjudicating on complaints of deductions from awards and of additional charges made by solicitors in circumstances where they have already been paid by the board.

But a letter sent yesterday by the RIRB to Law Society director general Ken Murphy stated: “Much of this difficulty could have been averted if the Law Society had been more proactive in the manner in which it dealt with the original complaints.