14,259 new complaints received, a 37% increase on 2024/25 (10,447).

8,412 new complaints were accepted during 2025/26, a 16% increase on 2024/25 (7,203).

8,199 complaints were resolved, a slight decrease of 1% on 2024/25 (8,270).

4,218 complaints were resolved through early resolution, an increase of 4% on 2024/25 (4,046).  

49% year-on-year increase in Immigration and Asylum complaints: the area of law with the most pronounced increase in accepted complaints in 2025/26.

36% of the complaints accepted in 2025/26 were Residential Conveyancing complaints, continuing to be the area with the highest volume of complaints within LeO.

46% of all complaint types received related to issues of communication or delay - poor communication in 24% of complaints and delay or failure to progress in 22%.

72% of complaints that had investigative outcomes had evidence of poor service.

46% of complaints that had investigative outcomes had evidence of unreasonable complaints handling by the service provider.

25% of consumers told us they did not receive a final response from their service provider.

£3.7m awarded in remedies to put things right.

We acknowledge the considerable effort that many providers invest in maintaining high standards of service. We recognise that many are striving to deliver quality service despite evolving legal requirements or circumstances beyond their control.

As an organisation dealing with complaints, we inevitably see more of what’s gone wrong. But our casework also highlights examples of good service, and we are committed to sharing more of these through our learning and insight work.

Nonetheless, our casework indicates that there remain opportunities for further improvement overall. By reflecting on key learnings and insights, service providers can enhance both the quality of their service and their approach to managing complaints when they arise.

Details of the full programme of learning and insight LeO delivered in 2025/26 to support improvement can be found on pages 28-36 of our Annual Report and Accounts.

How many complaints did we resolve?

•       In 2025/26 LeO resolved 8,199 complaints from people unhappy with the service they’d received from a legal provider, a very slight decrease compared to 2024/25 (8,270).

How many complaints did we accept?

•        8,412 complaints were accepted overall. This means they were taken on by LeO for some kind of resolution.

How did we resolve complaints?

•  51% of complaints (4,218) were resolved through early resolution, an increase of two percentage points on 2024/25 (49%).
• Residential Conveyancing had the highest proportion of complaints resolved by early resolution at 64%, with the lowest proportion resolved in Family Law at 33%.
• 15% of the complaints were resolved by investigation via an agreed outcome or a case decision.
• 22% of complaints required an ombudsman decision, typically involving a final decision, which is the most formal type of resolution we reach.
• 12% of complaints were resolved by other means, for example where complaints come to us prematurely, are out of jurisdiction or there is a withdrawal of the complaint.

What areas of law were complained about?

• At 36%, Residential Conveyancing accounted for the highest share of the total number of complaints accepted by LeO in 2025/26 (3,039 complaints).
• This was followed by Wills and Probate (1,147 complaints) and Personal Injury (1,140 complaints), each accounting for 14%.
• Comparing 2025/26 with 2024/25, the areas of law with the highest rises in accepted complaint volumes year-on-year were Immigration and Asylum (+49%) and Residential Conveyancing (+41%).

What were the complaints about?

• The most common complaint-types selected by those bringing complaints to LeO in 2025/26 were poor communication (24%), delay and failure to progress (22%), and failure to advise (19%).
• Other significant complaint types included costs (9%) and failure to follow instructions (8%).
• Communication challenges often contribute to complaints about delays or a lack of progress, as consumers' expectations for updates may differ from what service providers can reasonably offer.

What complaints did we uphold?

• The largest upheld complaint types were poor communication (25%), and delay and failure to progress (19%).
• Other significant complaint types upheld included costs (12%), failure to advise (9%), and failure to follow instructions (7%).
• Unreasonable complaints handling/failure to investigate a complaint internally featured strongly in our ‘other’ category.

How often did we find poor service?

• In 2025/26, evidence of poor service was found in 72% of complaints (1,667 complaints) that were assessed.
• Wills and Probate recorded the highest rate of evidence of poor service, at 79% (324 complaints).
• Other areas of law that saw high evidence of poor service rates were Residential Conveyancing with 78% (511 complaints) and Personal Injury 74% (163 complaints).
• Criminal Law had the lowest evidence of poor service; however, the proportion still remained substantial at 57% (43 complaints).
• While Immigration and Asylum experienced one of the highest rises in accepted complaint volumes this year, there was an eight percentage point reduction in complaints with evidence of poor service (70%).

Was the complaint handling by the service provider (first-tier) reasonable? 

• Legal providers who effectively address consumers’ issues and give them a fair and reasonable resolution are less likely to have complaints referred to our service.
• In 2025/26, 46% of investigative outcomes (1,067 complaints) showed evidence of unreasonable complaint handling by the service provider. This represents a fall of three percentage points on 2024/25 (49%).
• Areas of law where LeO saw a high volume of complaints in 2025/26 also evidenced high rates of unreasonable complaint handling. These included: Residential Conveyancing (53%); Wills and Probate (53%); and Personal Injury (48%).
• Immigration and Asylum had the highest overall rate of unreasonable complaint handling at 54% (30 complaints).

What remedies did we award to put things right?

• The Legal Ombudsman awarded a total of £3,700,986 in remedies in 2025/26, marginally lower than 2024/25’s total (£3,708,674).
• A single complaint may result in multiple types of remedy awards. For instance, a complaint might include both financial loss compensation and an award for emotional effects, reflecting the overall impact of the service failure on the consumer.
• In over three-quarters of investigated complaints (86%), we awarded compensation for the emotional effects due to legal provider failings, averaging £429 (2024/25 – £427).
• The next most frequent remedy (29%) was recommending that service providers refund, reduce, or waive fees, typically resulting in refunds averaging £3,520 (2024/25 – £3,249).
• Compensation for direct financial loss was least common (14%), averaging £4,553 (2024/25 – £5,186). This covers avoidable costs such as storage or alternative accommodation caused by provider delays.

Our enhanced guidance on remedies, aimed at supporting service providers to resolve more complaints at first tier, and offer fair remedies in line with LeO’s approach can be found here.

Conveyancing complaints are rising, driven mainly by delays, poor communication and post-completion registration problems. This rise accounts for a substantial proportion (almost three-quarters) of the overall increase in demand for LeO seen in 2025/26.

The complaints accepted in 2025/26 suggest a pattern of service breakdowns rather than isolated technical errors during the retainer. The strongest themes related to consumers feeling uninformed, unsupported, or unclear about what was happening. This points to a need for clearer communication, more consistent progress updates, and earlier intervention when expectations begin to diverge.

There were also signs that advice, documentation, costs, and scope of service are closely linked in consumers’ experience of dissatisfaction. Where consumers do not understand what advice is being given, why there are delays, or what they are being charged for, confidence in the overall service can quickly erode.

While not every problem reflects poor service, these were the main themes LeO saw in this area of law over 2025/26.

Service improvement focus should be on improving transparency, setting expectations clearly at the outset, and ensuring service providers are explaining decisions and next steps in plain language throughout the retainer.

Read our Spotlight on Residential Conveyancing here.

Read our case study: Fair remedies should reflect both financial and emotional impact 

Wills and Probate is a sensitive and complex area of law, and service providers must act in line with the estate and the wishes of the consumer, who in probate cases is the deceased. They can also face challenges in balancing those duties with disagreements between beneficiaries and executors.

In 2025/26, Wills and Probate saw a slight increase in accepted complaints when compared to those accepted in 2024/25. When we drill into the drivers behind these numbers, some divergent trends are apparent. Complaints relating to power of attorney had the highest increase (+63%) and complaints relating to will drafting rose by 47%. Complaints relating to trusts saw a 0% change year on year. Probate complaints saw an overall decline in accepted complaints compared to 2024/25 (-3%).

Power of attorney

These complaints can involve sensitive circumstances, including people managing relatives’ affairs, incapacity or disability. In 2025/26, one of the main issues in power of attorney complaints brought to LeO was delays caused by errors in documentation and, in some cases, lost paperwork.

We also saw complaints about service providers failing to release paperwork. However, it is important to clarify here that service providers must verify the consumer’s identity before releasing documents; the onus is on the consumer to ensure that ID is provided. LeO does see examples in complaints we have investigated and resolved, where the consumer has not provided identification.

Will drafting

Examples of the complaints brought to LeO over 2025/26 included service providers’ errors in documentation, with consumers telling LeO that they had identified errors they believed the service provider should have noticed. Complaints about errors in documentation that arise after death often become more serious, as they can have lasting consequences for beneficiaries and estate administration. Other complaints related to issues with wills not being finalised, executed or reviewed promptly, leading to disputes over additional charges.

Read our Wills and Probate Spotlight here.

Read our case study: A thorough, resolution-focused response can prevent complaint escalation to LeO 

For personal injury complaints, the main drivers in 2025/26 centred on poor communication, delays in progressing matters, uncertainty around costs or deductions, and concerns about the quality of advice. Many complaints reflected consumers feeling unclear about what was happening, why decisions were being made, or what impact those decisions would have on their claim.

Digital portals are commonly used in this area of law, enabling the sector to manage high caseloads and reduce administrative burdens. This can have a positive impact on consumers if managed correctly – portals can be a good way to keep consumers up to date. However, it is important the consumer fully understands the level of communication they will receive and how they will receive it, particularly relating to updates about their claim. This management of expectations from the outset is key to avoiding complaints.

Read our case study: Service failings may require loss of chance remedies 

Family law complaints can be highly emotive cases for all parties involved. In 2025/26 complaints to LeO about this area of law increased slightly by 2%, but this relatively small overall increase masks some larger rises and falls.

Over 2025/26 complaints accepted relating to matrimonial law fell by 4%. However, accepted complaints about child law more than doubled, rising by 108% compared to 2024/25, albeit from a small base (51 to 106). 

Child law complaints often arise in highly emotive and stressful circumstances, where legal proceedings can have a significant impact on family relationships and arrangements for children. Examples of complaints accepted in child law over 2025/26 included consumers reporting concerns about high or unexpected legal costs. Child law matters can become complex and lengthy, meaning costs can escalate quickly if expectations are not managed effectively, service providers should have clear and ongoing discussions about fees with the consumer as cases progress.

Other types of complaints LeO saw over 2025/26 included concerns about representation during court proceedings and hearings, including complaints that instructions were not followed or that consumers felt their views had not been properly reflected.

It is important to note here that whilst consumers may want their service provider to put forward arguments, or to question elements of the case, it may not be the appropriate hearing for those to be raised. Service providers should be clear with their consumers on the purpose of hearings, explaining what would be discussed. Where the service provider feels the instructions from their consumer are not within the remit of the hearing, they should explain this clearly beforehand. This helps reduce complaints by providing clarity to the consumer and managing their expectations.

Read our case study: Clear reasoning supports early resolution of advice complaints 

The number of accepted complaints about litigation increased by 13% in 2025/26. In line with other areas of law, matters often reflected a combination of concerns about legal judgement and the overall management of a case.

A key driver of dissatisfaction in 2025/26 was the perception that advice, strategy, settlement decisions or the handling of evidence was not appropriate for the consumer's circumstances, or that the rationale behind those decisions was not clearly explained.

The complaints accepted in 2025/26 also highlighted the importance of the consumer experience throughout the life of a case. Common issues included concerns that instructions were not fully followed, communication was insufficient, updates were not provided when expected, and matters did not progress as quickly as consumers anticipated.

Costs and billing concerns also featured prominently, particularly where consumers felt that charges, estimates or deductions were not explained clearly. In many cases, consumers described the practical and emotional impact of these issues, including financial pressure, uncertainty and dissatisfaction with the outcome achieved.

For service providers, it is important to set expectations at the start of the retainer, maintain clear communication, have transparent discussions about costs and obtain informed consumer agreement at key stages of the retainer. These service aspects are central to reducing complaints in this area of law.

Read our case study: Incorrect funding advice can lead to significant remedy outcomes 

Property complaints cover a wide range of issues, including commercial property, landlord and tenant matters, boundary and wider property disputes, and planning.

It is encouraging that first-tier complaint handling improved in this area of law compared to last year, with fewer property complaints reaching LeO without a final response and more offers being made at an earlier stage.  

Complaint volumes overall in this area fell by 13% in 2025/26, although landlord and tenant complaints bucked this trend by rising 6% compared to those accepted in 2024/25.

Significant changes to renters’ rights came into effect on 1 May 2026, including the abolition of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions. However, the proposed reforms were widely communicated throughout 2025/26.

Reports during 2025/26 indicated an increase in landlords instructing providers to serve eviction notices[1], which is likely to have increased demand for legal services in this area.

Complaints in this area over 2025/26 were raised by both landlords and tenants. The main drivers of complaints that LeO received were poor communication, delays in progressing matters, insufficient explanations of costs, and concerns about the quality of advice or case handling.

Many complaints arise in the context of highly stressful disputes where consumers are facing significant financial and personal impacts, making proactive communication, clear costs information and effective expectation management particularly important.

Read our case study: Reasonable service and complaint handling 

In contrast to 2024/25, which showed improvements over three reporting years in unreasonable complaint handling findings for Criminal Law (-2% in 2024/25), 2025/26 saw a reversal of this positive trend.

Complaints accepted in Criminal Law during 2025/26 most frequently centred on concerns about the quality of legal advice and representation. Analysis of accepted complaints found that issues relating to advice quality or legal handling featured as key drivers of complaints accepted in 2025/26. In discussing consumers’ complaints with them, we often find the crux of the complaint to be their feeling that the service provider failed to follow their instruction/s.

In the complaints we handled in 2025/26, consumers frequently questioned the quality, completeness or usefulness of the advice they received, particularly where they were dissatisfied with the outcome of their case or felt key issues had not been properly addressed. Together, these findings suggest that many complaints arose where there was a mismatch between what consumers expected their legal representative to do, and what they believed had been delivered.

Common combinations of complaints from consumers included advice quality alongside failures to follow instructions, unreasonable complaint handling, communication issues and delays. This highlights the importance of Criminal Law providers maintaining clear and regular communication with consumers, explaining legal strategy and managing expectations throughout the case. Where consumers understand the rationale behind decisions, the limits of representation and the likely progression of their case, complaints are less likely to escalate, even where the outcome is not the one the consumer had hoped for.

Read our case study: Failing to respond to a complaint can increase impact and remedy 

There has been a significant proportional increase in the number of complaints about immigration and asylum in the last 12 months.

Of the complaints accepted in 2025/26, one of the main drivers of was the process control around application handling, evidence and documentation. Many of these types of complaints stemmed from paperwork, forms, evidence, or application content being missing, incorrect, late, untranslated, or not properly submitted. This was closely linked to failures to execute agreed work and follow instructions as well as delay/failure to progress.

Another area of complaints accepted involved costs, billing clarity or refund disputes, often where the consumer expected a different outcome, clearer fee explanation, or refund because the work had not progressed as expected. Communication issues were also raised by consumers and seemed to amplify the underlying complaint rather than stand alone: consumers became more dissatisfied when they were not updated, could not get responses, or did not understand what was happening.

Whilst there was a positive change in the percentage of cases where we found poor service, this remains higher than average at 70%, and complaints about immigration are more likely to require an in-depth investigation.

Read our case study: Multiple service failings can increase remedy awarded  

Complaints about Employment Law increased by 37% compared to last year, and we also saw rises in the proportion of investigative outcomes finding poor service or unreasonable complaints handling at first-tier.

Of the complaints accepted by LeO in 2025/26, the strongest complaint themes related to hearing preparation, representation, settlement negotiations and deadline management. Consumers reported communication failures, delays in progressing matters and dissatisfaction with the quality or clarity of advice, particularly where expectations around prospects of success, legal strategy or likely outcomes were not clearly understood from the outset.

Cost transparency was also a recurring concern, often appearing alongside complaints about poor communication, insufficient progress or dissatisfaction with advice. Consumers commonly questioned the value of the service where fees were higher than expected, charging arrangements were unclear or there was uncertainty about what work had been completed.

Complaints also highlighted challenges within insurer-funded, union-funded and legal expenses insurance arrangements, where confusion over funding, representation and responsibilities could add to consumer frustration. Together, these findings suggest that clear advice, regular communication, proactive management of tribunal deadlines and transparent discussions about costs and funding arrangements are key to maintaining consumer confidence and reducing complaints.

Read our case study: Clear estimates help clients understand and plan for legal costs