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We supervise attorneys-at-law

We supervise attorneys-at-law

The professional supervision system for attorneys is based on law, and it is our duty to ensure that Finland has a body of attorneys-at-law with a high standard of professional excellence. In addition to attorneys-at-law, we supervise public legal aid attorneys and licensed trial counsels. The attorney’s client, counterparty, authorities and other dissatisfied parties can contact the Finnish Bar Association’s Disciplinary Board to lodge a complaint against an attorney-at-law, public legal aid attorney or licensed trial counsel.

The primary task of the Disciplinary Board is to verify, whether the attorney-at-law, public legal aid attorney or licensed trial counsel has followed the Code of Conduct for Attorneys-at-Law (applying to attorneys-at-law and public legal aid attorneys) or the statutory ethical professional obligations corresponding to the Code of Conduct (applying to licensed trial counsels). The Disciplinary Board can impose disciplinary sanctions for possible infringements. Read more about the Disciplinary Board.

Furthermore, the Board of the Finnish Bar Association supervises attorneys-at-law through annual office inspections, the inspections referred to in the Act on the prevention of money laundering and the financing of terrorism, and indebtedness investigations.

Free fee dispute procedure

If you are not satisfied with the fees invoiced by your attorney, you can refer the matter to the Disciplinary Board free of charge. The matter will then be handled as a fee dispute. A fee dispute can only be instituted by the attorney-at-law’s client or a person equivalent to a client. For example, a party to the estate of a deceased person can file a complaint on the fees of the estate administrator and executor.

 

 

Attorneys-at-law are subject to much more extensive supervision than other providers of legal services. If you choose to be represented by an attorney-at-law, you can rely on a high standard of service. The attorneys’ annual continuing education obligation and professional supervision conducted by the Bar Association and Disciplinary Board ensure the high quality of legal services.

For additional information, please see: www.valvontalautakunta.fi