Briefly in English

Briefly in English

Disciplinary Board

All Finnish attorneys-at-law, public legal aid attorneys and licensed trial counsels must follow the professional and ethical standards of the legal profession. The Bar Association’s Code of Conduct is a codification of these standards.

If you are dissatisfied with a lawyer, you may make a written complaint to the Disciplinary Board, either in Finnish or in Swedish. There is no fee for filing a complaint in a disciplinary matter.

Disciplinary matters

The functions of the Disciplinary Board include the duty to supervise that lawyers, public legal aid attorneys and licensed trial counsels fulfil their obligations when appearing in a court of law as well as in their other activities.

The Disciplinary Board deals with disciplinary matters. It is the Disciplinary Board’s duty to investigate breaches of the rules of the proper professional conduct, to receive, examine and decide upon complaints made against lawyers in respect of alleged breaches of the rules of the proper professional conduct.

Complaints are filed and handled in a digital portal at https://asiointi.asianajajaliitto.fi/ – strong identification (such as bank ID or mobile ID) will be used to identify the user when logging in. All communications and notifications regarding the complaint are securely in the portal.

The sanctions include admonishment, warning, fine or disbarment permanently from the Association. Lawyers are entitled to appeal the decision at the Helsinki Court of Appeal.

Disputes concerning fees

A binding decision in a dispute regarding a lawyer’s fee can only be issued by a court of law. The client may ask the Disciplinary Board of the Finnish Bar Association for a recommendation regarding the attorney’s fee. Disputes can also be taken up by the Consumer Disputes Board which, likewise, however, issues only recommendations. This board handles all kinds of complaints by consumers – most of them concerning used cars and holiday-packages.

The client should include the copy of the attorney’s invoice to the complaint letter addressed to the Disciplinary Board.

Contact information here (in Finnish).

Complaint letter

Complaint letter should include:

• complainants contact information
• name of the  attorney-at-law, public legal aid attorney or licenced trial counsel which the letter concerns
• brief desciption of the lawyer’s assignment
• description of action the complainant regards neglectful

You can send your letter via digital portal, e-mail or post.

E-mail info@valvontalautakunta.fi

Postaddress
Disciplinary Board
P.O. Box 13 (Mikonkatu 25)
FI-00101 Helsinki

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