Inadequate Professional Service
Inadequate professional service (ips) is not professional misconduct, as such, rather it is a failure by a solicitor to provide to the client such level of service which the client could reasonably have expected to receive in the circumstances of the matter.
Under Section 37A and Schedule 1A of the Solicitors Act 1974 the Law Society has the right to take certain steps against a solicitor where, in their opinion, "... the professional services provided ..... have, in any respect, not been of the quality which it is reasonable to expect of him as a solicitor". Those steps can include the payment of compensation by the solicitor to the client, disallowing all or part of the solicitor's costs, requiring the solicitor to rectify an error or requiring the solicitor to take such other action as may be required at the solicitor's own expense.
Issues relating to ips are now handled, in the first instance, by the Legal Complaints Service (LCS), an independent complaints handling body which is part of the Law Society but which operates independently of them. They are based in Leamington Spa and further information can be found on the LCS website.