Make a complaint?
If you have a complaint about the service provided by a lawyer registered in England and Wales, you should think about coming to us for help. We will look at all the facts in each case so we can reach an outcome that is fair for everyone involved. We can make sure your lawyer puts right anything they might have done wrong.
If you have a complaint
contact us0300 555 0333
(Calls cost the same as to a normal 01 or 02 landline number, even from a mobile phone, and are recorded for training and monitoring purposes)
We are open 8.30am to 5.30pm Mon-Fri enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Common questions
The questions and answers below cover some of the most popular queries we've received so far.
If your question isn't covered here, or you're not sure, please contact us.
What is the Legal Ombudsman's postal address and why has it changed?
How do I complain to the Legal Ombudsman?
How do I make sure my complaint is taken seriously?
What can the Legal Ombudsman do for me?
What sort of solutions can the Legal Ombudsman come up with?
If you decide that my lawyer should pay me compensation, how much can I expect to get?
Who can I complain about?
What can I complain about?
What happens if I have already complained to another body?
Can you help me with my court case?
Are there any time limits set on when I can make a complaint to you?
What is the Legal Ombudsman's postal address and why has it changed?
How do I complain to the Legal Ombudsman?
How do I make sure my complaint is taken seriously?
What can the Legal Ombudsman do for me?
What sort of solutions can the Legal Ombudsman come up with?
If you decide that my lawyer should pay me compensation, how much can I expect to get?
Who can I complain about?
What can I complain about?
What happens if I have already complained to another body?
Can you help me with my court case?
Are there any time limits set on when I can make a complaint to you?
Common questions answered
What is the Legal Ombudsman's postal address and why has it changed?
All written correspondence should be sent to Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ. Our scanning partner was acquired by a new company who made the decision to move offices. This forced us to change our PO Box address. We have been assured by EDM, who provide our scanning service that there will be no further changes in the foreseeable future. All post sent to this address is subject to strict data security protocols.
How do I complain to the Legal Ombudsman?
Take a look at our leaflet Here to help (pdf opens in a new window). If you have a complaint that you think we can deal with, or want to know more, please contact us. You can either phone us to explain what your compliant is about or complete our online complaint form, which will be sent to us automatically. The other option is to download our complaint form and fill this in by hand. Details of what to do with this information once it's filled in are shown on the form.
How do I make sure my complaint is taken seriously?
Most of us contact lawyers at difficult times in our lives. So when things go wrong it can be very frustrating. Following a few simple steps at the beginning can help sort things out before they start to look too daunting.
What can the Legal Ombudsman do for me?
We have official powers to receive and investigate complaints about lawyers in England and Wales. This is a free service to consumers. Our job is to look at complaints in a fair and independent way – we will not take sides. We try to resolve any problems informally, by getting both sides to agree the best way forward. But we can also insist on lawyers doing the right thing to resolve things if needs be.
What sort of solutions can the Legal Ombudsman come up with?
If we agree there has been a problem with your lawyer's service, we can ask the lawyer and law firm to put things right by:
This all depends on what went wrong and what kind of additional expense or inconvenience you've had to put up with as a result. Compensation probably won't be seen as the best solution in most cases. And most compensation amounts are likely to be a lot lower than the maximum. But we can't say in advance what this figure will be. It will all depend on the circumstances of each complaint. There is no hard and fast rule, but we think awards at the top of the scale (£30,000) are going to be quite unusual.
Who can I complain about?
Legal service customers can complain if they are not satisfied with a service they have received from a lawyer in England or Wales – that's any lawyer, from solicitors and barristers to legal executives and trademark attorneys.
What can I complain about?
You can complain to us if you are not satisfied with the service you've received from a lawyer or law firm you hired to provide legal services to help with things like:
What happens if I have already complained to another body?
If you have already complained about a lawyer in England and Wales you should continue dealing with whoever is handling your complaint at the moment. We have been dealing with all new complaints since 6 October 2010. If you're not sure what to do, please contact us and we'll do our best to help.
Can you help me with my court case?
No. The Legal Ombudsman is here to resolve complaints about the service provided by lawyers. We can't give legal advice or advise on court procedures. Her Majesty's Courts Service provides information on the courts system and how to deal with cases. You can see this guidance through the HMCS website. (launches website in new window)
Are there any time limits set on when I can make a complaint to you?
Yes - there are two relevant time limits: the '12 month rule' and the '6 month rule'. Generally speaking, your complaint should be brought to us no later than 12 months from when the problem occurred or from when you should reasonably have become aware of the problem. Suppose the problem occurred, or you became aware of the problem, at the end of September. You should bring your complaint to us before the end of the following September.
Plus, you should come to us within 6 months of receiving a final response from your lawyer after complaining to them. Suppose you complained to your lawyer about the problem at the end of November and they responded with a final offer to sort things out at the end of January. If you're still not happy with what they offered, you would have until the end of July to bring your complaint to us.
Normally, your complaint needs to fall inside both rules if we're going to investigate it.
All written correspondence should be sent to Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ. Our scanning partner was acquired by a new company who made the decision to move offices. This forced us to change our PO Box address. We have been assured by EDM, who provide our scanning service that there will be no further changes in the foreseeable future. All post sent to this address is subject to strict data security protocols.
How do I complain to the Legal Ombudsman?
Take a look at our leaflet Here to help (pdf opens in a new window). If you have a complaint that you think we can deal with, or want to know more, please contact us. You can either phone us to explain what your compliant is about or complete our online complaint form, which will be sent to us automatically. The other option is to download our complaint form and fill this in by hand. Details of what to do with this information once it's filled in are shown on the form.
How do I make sure my complaint is taken seriously?
Most of us contact lawyers at difficult times in our lives. So when things go wrong it can be very frustrating. Following a few simple steps at the beginning can help sort things out before they start to look too daunting.
- • First of all, contact your lawyer and tell them what's wrong. If they can't help straight away, ask for details of how to complain to them using their own complaints procedure. Every lawyer should have such a procedure in place.
• It's always best to follow this procedure through to the end and to put your concerns in writing. Keep a copy of your notes or letters for future reference.
• If you're not sure about what to do, contact us.
What can the Legal Ombudsman do for me?
We have official powers to receive and investigate complaints about lawyers in England and Wales. This is a free service to consumers. Our job is to look at complaints in a fair and independent way – we will not take sides. We try to resolve any problems informally, by getting both sides to agree the best way forward. But we can also insist on lawyers doing the right thing to resolve things if needs be.
What sort of solutions can the Legal Ombudsman come up with?
If we agree there has been a problem with your lawyer's service, we can ask the lawyer and law firm to put things right by:
- • apologising to you;
• returning any documents you may need;
• doing more work if this can correct what went wrong;
• refunding or reducing your legal fees, or, in a few cases;
• paying compensation if you have lost out or been badly treated (up to £30,000).
This all depends on what went wrong and what kind of additional expense or inconvenience you've had to put up with as a result. Compensation probably won't be seen as the best solution in most cases. And most compensation amounts are likely to be a lot lower than the maximum. But we can't say in advance what this figure will be. It will all depend on the circumstances of each complaint. There is no hard and fast rule, but we think awards at the top of the scale (£30,000) are going to be quite unusual.
Who can I complain about?
Legal service customers can complain if they are not satisfied with a service they have received from a lawyer in England or Wales – that's any lawyer, from solicitors and barristers to legal executives and trademark attorneys.
What can I complain about?
You can complain to us if you are not satisfied with the service you've received from a lawyer or law firm you hired to provide legal services to help with things like:
- • buying and selling a house or property
• family law such as divorce
• wills
• personal injury
• intellectual property
• criminal law
• civil litigation
• immigration
• employment issues
What happens if I have already complained to another body?
If you have already complained about a lawyer in England and Wales you should continue dealing with whoever is handling your complaint at the moment. We have been dealing with all new complaints since 6 October 2010. If you're not sure what to do, please contact us and we'll do our best to help.
Can you help me with my court case?
No. The Legal Ombudsman is here to resolve complaints about the service provided by lawyers. We can't give legal advice or advise on court procedures. Her Majesty's Courts Service provides information on the courts system and how to deal with cases. You can see this guidance through the HMCS website. (launches website in new window)
Are there any time limits set on when I can make a complaint to you?
Yes - there are two relevant time limits: the '12 month rule' and the '6 month rule'. Generally speaking, your complaint should be brought to us no later than 12 months from when the problem occurred or from when you should reasonably have become aware of the problem. Suppose the problem occurred, or you became aware of the problem, at the end of September. You should bring your complaint to us before the end of the following September.
Plus, you should come to us within 6 months of receiving a final response from your lawyer after complaining to them. Suppose you complained to your lawyer about the problem at the end of November and they responded with a final offer to sort things out at the end of January. If you're still not happy with what they offered, you would have until the end of July to bring your complaint to us.
Normally, your complaint needs to fall inside both rules if we're going to investigate it.
How to contact us
If you would like to contact us please call
0300 555 0333 or email us at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Our team is available from 8.30am to 5.30pm to answer your calls. If you want to write to us, our address is PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ.
If you want to know more about how to make a complaint or to signpost people to us, we have produced some leaflets that might help. Click here to see them. They include all our contact details.
If you are calling from overseas, please call +44 121 245 3050
For our minicom call 0300 555 1777
0300 555 0333 or email us at enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Our team is available from 8.30am to 5.30pm to answer your calls. If you want to write to us, our address is PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ.
If you want to know more about how to make a complaint or to signpost people to us, we have produced some leaflets that might help. Click here to see them. They include all our contact details.
If you are calling from overseas, please call +44 121 245 3050
For our minicom call 0300 555 1777
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