Cooperating with a complaint

If a lawyer is notified by the Commissioner that a complaint has been lodged against them, it is very important that the lawyer cooperate with the investigation.

Cooperating includes;

• following any reasonable instructions and requests from the Commissioner’s office
• providing all relevant documents to the Commissioner's office
• answering any questions from the Commissioner's office fully and honestly
• meeting any deadlines imposed by the Commissioner's office
• avoiding any conduct that may cause further conflict with the client
• contacting the Commissioner’s office immediately with any questions or concerns.

Most importantly, communications from the Commissioner should not be ignored. Failing to respond to correspondence from the Commissioner can itself amount to misconduct.