The Solicitors Regulation Authority are the independent regulatory body for solicitors in England and Wales. Their website is
here.
Their code of conduct is [broken link removed]
Check if the solicitor concerned is governed by this body. There is a link on the website.
Even better there is a complaints handling website, [broken link removed]
Apparently there are time limits for a complaint about a bill:
"Time limits on complaints: Are there any? What are they? There are time limits for
- making a complaint about poor service
- reporting a solicitor's conduct
- applying for a remuneration certificate
It's important for you to contact us before these deadlines. If you leave it any longer, we may decide not to investigate your complaint.
Poor service
If you want to complain about poor service, you must contact us
- within six months of the end of the work the solicitor did for you, or
- within six months of finding out there was a problem
Whichever is later
Solicitor's conduct
If you want to report a solicitor's conduct, you must contact us within six months of the conduct having taken place.
Solicitor's bill
When your solicitor informs you of your right to apply for a
[broken link removed] (many solicitors do this in a statement printed on the back of the bill), you have one month to apply to your solicitor in writing for a remuneration certificate.
If your solicitor doesn't inform you of your right to apply for a remuneration certificate – and they have already taken their costs from money they are holding for you – you have three months from the date you receive the bill to apply to your solicitor in writing for a remuneration certificate. Call our helpline – 0845 608 6565 – if you're concerned about meeting a deadline."