Complain against an insolvency practitioner or the Insolvency Service

As a creditor or a debtor, if you are unhappy about the conduct of an insolvency practitioner (IP), you may first be able to resolve your complaint by taking it up with the IP concerned.

If you cannot resolve your complaint directly with the IP and you consider that they are acting 'unprofessionally, improperly or unethically', you can make a complaint to the appropriate authorising body or Complaints Gateway. For a full list and contact details of these bodies see the directory of authorised professional bodies.

An IP should give details of their authorising body on request. Alternatively, you can find this information:

• on the Insolvency Service's searchable database of IPs
• by calling the Insolvency Service on Tel 028 9054 8531
• by emailing the Insolvency Service at insolvency@economy-ni.gov.uk
• by writing to the Insolvency Practitioner Unit

You can write to the Insolvency Practitioner Unit at:

Insolvency Practitioner Unit
The Insolvency Service
Fermanagh House
Ormeau Avenue
Belfast
BT2 8NJ

If you are not sure who is acting as the IP for a particular case, you will need to supply the full name of the insolvency case when making your enquiry.

Limit of authorising bodies' powers

The Department for the Economy (DfE) or the authorising body cannot intervene directly in individual insolvencies, nor can they give directions in relation to the conduct of individual cases, or reverse or modify the decision of an IP.

Insolvency deals with a number of competing interests, most notably between the insolvent party and their creditors. Ultimately, commercial and other disputes may only be resolved by the courts. The authorising body's disciplinary procedures should not be regarded as an alternative to the powers available to individuals under the Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989.

Complaints against case administrators or case managers

The IP is the person who is responsible for the insolvency case and the staff that run it. Therefore, complaints against a case administrator or a case manager, for example, should be taken up with the relevant IP.