Legal Ombudsman Complaints UK: How to Complain

Overview

The Legal Ombudsman is an independent scheme set up to resolve disputes between consumers and legal service providers in England and Wales. They are not a regulator and they are not a court. Their role is to look at what happened, weigh up whether the service you received fell short of what a reasonable person would expect, and where it did, to decide what the provider should do to put things right.

Remedies can include an apology, a refund or reduction of fees, correcting a mistake, or paying compensation for distress or inconvenience caused by the poor service. The scheme is free for the person complaining. It covers issues like delays, poor communication, unclear costs information, and errors in handling your matter.

It does not cover concerns about professional misconduct or dishonesty, which fall to the regulators instead. You usually need to have complained to the legal provider first before the Ombudsman will get involved, and there are strict time limits on when you can bring a case.

Key steps

1. Raise it with your legal provider first. Before the Ombudsman will look at anything, you need to have given the firm or lawyer a proper chance to fix it. Put your complaint in writing, set out clearly what went wrong and what you want done about it, and keep a copy. Most firms have a published complaints procedure and must respond within a set timeframe.
2. Wait for the firm's final response or for time to run out. The provider normally has up to eight weeks to deal with your complaint and send you a final written response. If you get that response and are still unhappy, or if the eight weeks pass without a proper reply, you are then free to take the matter to the Legal Ombudsman.
3. Check you are within the time limits. The Ombudsman applies strict deadlines, typically measured from when you first became aware of the problem and from the date of the firm's final response. Miss these windows and the complaint can be rejected without being investigated, so check the current limits on the Ombudsman's website before you file.
4. Submit your complaint with supporting information. You can complain online, by post, or over the phone. Set out what happened in date order, attach the key letters and emails, include the firm's final response, and be clear about the outcome you are seeing. The more organised your submission, the quicker it tends to move.
5. Engage with the investigation. Once accepted, an investigator will contact both sides, ask for the file, and form a view. They may suggest an informal resolution first. If that doesn't work, an Ombudsman will make a formal decision. If you accept the decision it becomes binding on the provider; if you reject it, you keep your right to pursue the matter elsewhere.

Common questions