All complaints have to be made to the Legal Services Commission (‘LSC’) in writing. The Queensland Law Society (‘QLS’) has power to investigate trust account matters. The QLS will refer matters to the LSC. It is up to the LSC to decide whether it prosecutes conduct matters or allegations as to trust account breaches.
The LSC also deals with public enquiries and, when contacted by a solicitor’s client with concerns, may attempt to resolve minor matters on an informal basis. Information on the complaints process is available on the LSC website.
If you are thinking of making a complaint in your own name, or assisting a client to make a complaint, you should note the Australian Solicitors Conduct Rules 2012 (Qld) and in particular rule 32.