Challenging client requests & difficult interactions
As you know, there is a form on our website that members of the public can use to advise AJPA Council when they consider that a Justice has not provided an acceptable service. Many of the issues raised by clients relate to their perception that the Justice was rude, made racist comments or did not respond in the way the client expected.
When an issue is raised by a member of the public the AJPA Conduct & Ethics committee always investigates. The first step is to contact the Justice and request information. There are always at least two views on what happened. If you receive an email asking you to report “your side of the story” please be assured that we are only seeking further information!
We further suggest that when you have an interaction with a client that did not go well, that you take time the same day to write some confidential notes about what happened, so that you can supply these facts should a complaint be made. Include
- date/time/location of the meeting
- the client’s request
- the problem (eg missing documents/information) as you understand it
- your explanation
- client’s response