Complaints about lawyers are taking six months even to be looked at, the Legal Ombudsman has admitted as it struggles with a backlog of cases. Visitors to the ombudsman website are being told that due to a 'significant' volume of cases, it is currently taking longer than expected to assess and investigate complaints.
Law Society Gazette
Often our clients are criticised, wrongly in our view, for using their statutory rights under the Solicitors Act rather than going to the Legal Ombudsman.
The revelation that there is a six month delay before many complaints are even looked at supports our view that, when the complaint is about fees, the Ombudsman is not necessarily the best route.
Not only is there a delay, but the Ombudsman is not bound to apply the law in the same way as a Court would. In some cases in which we have been involved, in which the Ombudsman has recommended a settlement, we have been able to obtain a significantly better result by going through the courts.
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Or, if you do want more information about complaining to the Ombudsman, follow this link.
