Fair, open, effective, shrewd and independent
The creation of the Legal Ombudsman marked a new start in the handling of legal complaints. Our independent scheme cuts through the complexity consumers can sometimes face when using lawyers' services.
We were set up by the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) under the Legal Services Act 2007 to make sure users of legal services can go to an independent and impartial Ombudsman scheme to resolve disputes involving their lawyer. We started to accept complaints in October 2010.
We're independent – and must be able to demonstrate independence – from government, relevant regulators and professional bodies.
We are an arms length body of the Ministry of Justice. The costs of running the Legal Ombudsman are met by a levy from the legal profession itself.
The legal profession is made up of around 15,000 barristers, 108,000 solicitors and 14,000 individuals operating in other aspects of the legal profession, such as conveyancing. The sector is currently valued at £23.34 billion per annum (the total turnover in 2006).
People have the right to expect the highest possible standards both of customer service and fairness from our legal profession. For most people, at most times, this is what they receive. However, we also know that some may feel disappointed, hurt or disadvantaged by shortcomings in the service they get. Given the sheer volume of activity in the legal system, it's not surprising. It's estimated that each year there are more than 15,000 complaints about legal services practitioners.