Dealing with Problem Clients: Handling Pressure, Complaints and Unrealistic Demands

Dealing with Problem Clients: Handling Pressure, Complaints and Unrealistic Demands

Law firm clients have become increasingly willing to complain. Some complaints are justified, but many arise from misunderstanding, unrealistic expectations, poor communication, delay, cost concerns, or a client’s belief that the firm should have achieved an outcome that was never realistically available.

This problem is now becoming more difficult because clients can use AI tools to produce long, detailed and “legal-looking” complaints within minutes. Even where the complaint is weak, inaccurate or based on a misunderstanding, the firm still has to respond properly, calmly and in accordance with its regulatory obligations.

For law firms, the challenge is not simply dealing with the complaint once it arrives. The real issue is how to reduce the risk of complaints arising in the first place, how to manage difficult clients before matters escalate, and how to protect the firm if a client later challenges the advice, the costs, the service or the outcome.

This practical 2-hour live online course will examine how firms can deal more effectively with problem clients, unrealistic demands, pressure tactics and complaints. It will consider the warning signs that a client relationship may become difficult, the importance of setting expectations clearly, and the practical steps firms can take to reduce the risk of complaints, regulatory problems and professional indemnity exposure.

The session will include examples from a range of practice areas and will focus on practical risk management for solicitors, fee earners, support staff, supervisors and compliance teams.

Delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions throughout this live and interactive course.

The course will cover:

   · Why do clients complain?

· What are the most common complaints against law firms?

· What are the regulators telling us?

· What is the view of the LSB?

· What can firms do in the face of AI challenges?

· What about your T&Cs?

· What about your front-line staff?

· Practical ways to mitigate complaints

· Impact of the move to the FCA of AML regulation

Who Should Attend?

This course is suitable for:

• Solicitors and fee earners in all practice areas
• COLPs, COFAs and compliance officers
• Partners and practice managers
• Client care and complaints managers
• Risk and compliance teams
• Front-line staff who deal directly with clients
• Legal executives, paralegals and support staff
• Others involved in managing client relationships or complaints

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the session, delegates should be better able to:

• Understand why clients complain and how complaints can escalate
• Identify early warning signs of difficult or unrealistic clients
• Manage client expectations more effectively from the outset
• Recognise how AI-generated complaints may affect law firms
• Respond more confidently to pressure, aggression and unreasonable demands
• Use engagement letters, retainers and T&Cs more effectively
• Improve communication and file records to reduce complaint risk
• Support front-line staff in managing difficult client interactions
• Handle complaints in a calm, structured and compliant way
• Reduce the risk of avoidable complaints, regulatory issues and claims

The course will be streamed live, direct to your desktop, tablet or smartphone, so you can watch it from your office or home. You can participate live or watch the recording whenever and wherever you want. In each case, you will receive a recording of the complete course after the event.

Our presenter is Lorraine Richardson.

Lorraine qualified as a solicitor in 1991 and has had a wide and varied career as both a property solicitor in private practice and a legal trainer.

She combines legal knowledge with practical experience and is known for delivering training that is accessible, clear and directly relevant to everyday legal practice. Lorraine has written and delivered courses on residential conveyancing, the SRA Code of Conduct, AML, compliance issues, property issues for family lawyers, presentation skills and cybercrime.

For this session, Lorraine will bring a practical risk-management focus to the difficult issue of handling client pressure, complaints and unrealistic demands, with guidance designed to help firms reduce avoidable complaints and protect both clients and the firm.

Price

The price for this course is £199 + VAT.

This is a per organisation price, so, in addition, up to 10 of your colleagues can participate at no additional charge, even if they are viewing from a different location or at a different time.

So, if there are 10 of you, the cost per delegate would be just £19.90 + VAT per person.

For firms with four or fewer partners, you can purchase a single place for £99 + VAT.

The course can be streamed live to your desktop, laptop or phone, or you can watch the recording whenever and wherever you want. In either case, you will receive a link to the recording of the course.

To book a place on the course, please click on the booking link. If you do not know all the names of your delegates, you can still book for those you know and add additional free delegates at a later date. All free delegates need to be registered in order to receive joining instructions.

Important Notes about Booking

Payment can be made by credit or debit card, or alternatively by invoice. The option to pay by invoice is below the pay by card option in the booking form.

If you do not have the complete list of who will be attending, you can book for those you know will be attending and add the others at a later date.

Please ensure that, when booking, you enter colleagues’ email addresses entirely correctly, as failure to do so may mean that they do not receive joining instructions.

The Legal Training Consultancy

The Legal Training Consultancy is a full-service training consultancy with a large portfolio of conferences, courses and trainers. Over the years, we have been responsible for putting together a vast number of law and tax-related conferences, webinars, seminars, videos and e-learning modules — altogether well over 2,000.