Insolvency is stressful enough without feeling that the person appointed to handle it has let you down. Most insolvency practitioners are regulated professionals doing a difficult job properly. But when something genuinely goes wrong — unclear or excessive fees, poor communication, delay, or a conflict of interest — you have a proper, free route to challenge it, and you do not need to pay anyone to use it. This guide explains who regulates IPs, exactly what you can complain about, how the process works step by step, and how to give your complaint the best possible chance of being taken forward.
Are insolvency practitioners actually regulated?
Yes — but it is worth understanding how, because it explains what a complaint can and cannot do. In England & Wales it is the individual practitioner who is licensed, not the firm. As of January 2026 there were 1,480 authorised insolvency practitioners, each authorised by one of three recognised professional bodies (RPBs):
- ICAEW — the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
- The IPA — the Insolvency Practitioners Association
- ICAS — the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland
The Insolvency Service oversees those bodies. Here is the nuance that matters: regulation currently attaches to the person who holds the licence, not to the business they trade through — insolvency firms are not yet directly regulated. The Government has said future regulation will extend to firms as well as individuals, but for now every complaint is about the conduct of a named, licensed practitioner. That is a good thing to know: however large the firm, there is an identifiable regulated individual answerable for the work.
What you can complain about
A complaint needs to be about the practitioner’s professional conduct — a possible breach of the rules or standards — not simply disappointment with a lawful commercial decision. Grounds the Gateway and RPBs commonly take forward include:
- Fees that are unclear, were not agreed, or look disproportionate to the work done
- Poor communication — not replying, not explaining, or not keeping creditors and other parties informed
- Delay in progressing the case or making distributions
- Conflicts of interest or a lack of independence
- Failing to follow the correct procedure under the Insolvency Act 1986 and the Insolvency Rules 2016
- Misleading or inaccurate information given to creditors, directors or the court
What the process will not do is reverse a decision that was simply commercial — for example that an asset was sold, or a proposal rejected — where the practitioner acted within their powers.
The complaints process, step by step
There are three stages, and you must start at the top:
- Complain to the insolvency practitioner first. Put it in writing, set out clearly what went wrong and what you want, and give them a reasonable chance to respond. Many firms have a written complaints procedure — ask for it.
- Escalate to the Insolvency Service Complaints Gateway. If you are not satisfied with their answer, this is the single online route for complaints about any IP, whichever body authorises them. You will need to know which RPB the practitioner belongs to — their authorisation is on the public register.
- Referral to the regulator (RPB). The Gateway triages your complaint and, if it may amount to a disciplinary matter, refers it to the practitioner’s professional body, which carries out its own investigation.
Time limit: you can normally complain about something that happened in the past three years — or longer ago, if you only found the evidence for it within the past three years. You cannot make the same complaint twice.
Get the framing right — most complaints are turned away
This is the part that matters most. In 2025 the Complaints Gateway received 966 complaints — up 47% on the year before — but only 166 were referred to a regulator for investigation. Most of the rest were rejected or closed. The single biggest reason a genuine complaint fails is that it is written as general dissatisfaction rather than as a specific, evidenced breach of a professional standard.
To give yours the best chance:
- Be specific: name the practitioner, the case, and each thing they did or failed to do.
- Tie each point to a duty or standard — a rule, a fee that was never agreed, information that was wrong.
- Attach the evidence: letters, fee estimates, statements, dates.
- Ask the regulator to look at conduct, not a commercial disagreement.
This is exactly the kind of document work we help with. Chris helps you set out your complaint to the practitioner, and your Complaints Gateway submission, to a professional standard — clear, evidenced and correctly framed — in minutes. No percentage of anything, no commission, no subscription. You stay in control, and you remain the person making the complaint.
What a complaint can — and can’t — achieve
If your complaint is upheld, the regulator can impose a range of sanctions on the practitioner under the Common Sanctions Guidance — from a reprimand or severe reprimand, to a financial penalty, to conditions on their licence or, in the most serious cases, withdrawal of their authorisation.
What it will not do is put money back in your pocket. There is no mechanism for compensation from the practitioner or the regulator through the complaints process itself. If you have suffered a financial loss, that is a separate matter — you may need to take your own legal action, such as a professional negligence claim, and you should take advice on that.
Finally, the complaints process is not an appeal. If you believe the regulator itself mishandled your complaint, you can ask for it to be looked at by an Independent Reviewer, or complain about the RPB to the Insolvency Service — but that is about procedure, not a second run at the same complaint.
Related guides
Do I need an insolvency practitioner? · DIY company insolvency & rescue — every option · How to cut CVA and insolvency-practitioner fees
Frequently asked questions
Who do I complain to about an insolvency practitioner?
First the practitioner directly, in writing. If you are not satisfied, the Insolvency Service Complaints Gateway — the single point of entry for complaints about any IP in England & Wales — which refers conduct matters to their regulator (ICAEW, the IPA or ICAS).
Does it cost anything to complain?
No — using the Complaints Gateway is free. If you would like your complaint and supporting statement drafted to a professional standard, Chris can help.
Can I get compensation?
Not through the complaints process — the regulator can discipline the practitioner but cannot order compensation. For financial loss you would need a separate legal claim, on which you should take advice.
Is there a time limit?
Yes — usually three years from the problem, or from when you first discovered the evidence for it.
Are insolvency firms regulated?
Currently only the individual, licensed practitioner is regulated, not the firm itself — though the Government has proposed extending regulation to firms. Your complaint is always about the conduct of a named practitioner.