is it bad for a solicitor to make an offer without having consulted the client?

[IShallWearMidnight]

Dispute regarding money owed by A for work done by B. B is pushing for full payment plus interest, A's solicitor firstly says "see you in court mate", then makes an offer of a small amount of total claimed but hasn't agreed this with A (and says so in offer).

Just unprofessional, or against Law Society rules? I'm neither A, B or solicitor in this, just an interested party.

If he makes it clear in the offer that he hasn't specifically agreed it with his client, that seems to me to be OK. He's not deceiving anyone and in effect he's testing the water - he's finding out whether B would be interested in settling at that sort of level, with the implication that he will go back and get his client's instructions on it if B is.

Thanks for that, I wasn't sure if it was acceptable practice or not

Very common, not unprofessional at all if solicitor makes it clear he has no firm instructions.