The Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints about the quality of service given by attorneys.

The Legal Ombudsman was operational from 6th October 2010 (see its website).

The Legal Ombudsman has issued a booklet entitled “Categorisation of complaints“.

The Legal Ombudsman has published three brochures. These can be downloaded from the “Publications” section of its website. You can also obtain hard copies via that link.

Here is a short outline of what each of them are:

“Guide to Good Complaints Handling” – this explains what the Legal Ombudsman will expect from lawyers in dealing with complaints. When the Legal Ombudsman looks at complaints raised with it, it will be examining the way the complaint was dealt with as well as the reason for the complaint being made in the first place.

“Making a Complaint” – this is informally called the “signposting” leaflet. It can be used to fulfil the new Legal Services Board requirements. This explains to consumers how to make a complaint and sets out the steps to follow.

“How we can help” – this gives an overview of the role of the Ombudsman and what it can and cannot help to resolve.

Finally, the Legal Ombudsman has recently updated (November 2023) its View of Good Costs Service guidanceWhilst aimed at legal practitioners, the guidance provides a number of case studies demonstrating how and in what circumstances complaints about costs and transparency have been upheld or refused.  There are other reports aimed at consumers which can be found on its website.