MORE people complained against lawyers last year, but nearly half the grouses were found to be groundless after they were probed.
There were 89 complaints referred by the Law Society's governing council to the inquiry panel for the 12 months up to August 2008, up from 63 for the corresponding period up to August 2007.
Complaints go through a two-tier probe: the chairman first refers them to a committee which reviews the complaints and either dismiss the case as unfounded or recommends it to be further investigated by an inquiry committee.
Some 40 out of the 89 complaints were dismissed either at the review or inquiry committee stage, said a Law Society spokesman.
Eventually, only a handful of the complaints are serious enough to be referred to a disciplinary tribunal.
Complaints against lawyers include undue delays in obtaining documents, overcharging and failing to provide proper advice, among other things.
It is understood the rise in complaints comes from growing public awareness. Late last year the rules were changed to require a complainant to make a statutory declaration on the written complaint.
Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.
