Are you confident your file notes would protect you if your advice was ever disputed by a client?
- Yes (73%)
- Not sure (21%)
- No (6%)
Loading ...In the event of a customer ever disputing advice given by advisers, it seems a healthy majority of those in the sector believe their file notes would protect them.
As we go to press, the results from our latest poll indicate that seven in 10 advisers (70%) agree with the premise they are confident their file notes would protect them if their advice was ever disputed by a client.
Some 10% said they were not confident, while another 20% were unsure.
And this 70% is a sizable improvement on results from the same poll which we conducted in March 2025. Then, just 54% were confident their files notes would protect them in the event of a dispute.
At that time a notable 33% were not sure their file notes would be up to scratch. Another 13% stated a bald “no” (see: Advice Disputes: Your Verdict).
Do you believe this might indicate that practice processes have improved since March 2025? Is the ongoing publicity being given to the rising numbers of consumer complaints leading advisers to rethink how they record and monitor their client engagement?
This latest poll question arose after financial ombudsman FSCL last week had reported a spike in financial disputes in general, although disputes about financial advisers had reduced in the first six months of this financial year. (see: Ombudsman Service Sees Major Increase in Financial Disputes).
Our poll remains open for another week and we are keen to know your thoughts…