The Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner is an independent office established under the Legal Practitioners Act 1981 (SA) to maintain the highest standards of professional behaviour within the legal profession. The Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner is empowered to investigate complaints of unsatisfactory professional conduct or professional misconduct by lawyers.
A person who is concerned about the conduct of a lawyer, including whether they have been overcharged by their lawyer, can complain in writing to the Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner (LPCC). A person who makes a complaint to the LPCC is called the complainant.
The LPCC has a standard complaint form which can be accessed from the LPCC website or a complaint form can be sent out in the mail or by email.
A fee must be paid to lodge a complaint to the LPCC. For the current fees, visit the LPCC website.
Fee waiver or reduction
In some circumstances the complainant may apply to have payment of the lodgement fee waived or reduced.
The LPCC may waive payment of the fee if the complainant provides one of the following valid concession cards:
OR
evidence that the complainant has been granted legal aid within the last 3 months and was not required to make more than the minimum contribution of $30.
The LPCC may also consider an application to waive or reduce the fee due to financial hardship or special circumstances. In such cases the complainant must provide supporting information, including one of the following:
The LPCC will refund the fee to the complainant if the Commissioner finds that the legal practitioner has engaged in professional misconduct, or the Commissioner finds that there has been overcharging by the legal practitioner (in a case concerning a complaint about overcharging).
Further information about current fees, fee waivers and reductions is available at the LPCC website.
The LPCC has a telephone and email enquiry service which provides information about the role of the Commissioner and his complaint process. You may wish to speak to the Commissioner’s enquiry officer before making your complaint. The Commissioner’s office cannot provide legal advice.
If a legally aided person has a complaint about their lawyer in relation to professional misconduct, they may wish to notify the Legal Services Commission as well as the LPCC.
If seeking to change to another lawyer, they will need to ask the Legal Services Commission to transfer the grant of aid from the first lawyer to second. It is not the role of the Legal Services Commission to investigate professional complaints about lawyers.
Legal Profession Conduct Commissioner
Email: lpcc@lpcc.sa.gov.au
Call 08 8212 7924 / 1800 337 570 (free call)
For complaints against Judges, Magistrates and other judicial officers, see Complaints against Judges and other judicial officers.
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