The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has today published its annual overview of complaints for 2025/26, highlighting a significant increase in demand for its help as well as opportunities to improve legal services and complaint handling.
In the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, LeO received 14,529 new complaints – a 37% increase on the previous year. During the same period, it accepted 8,412 complaints for resolution, up 16% on 2024/25.
The data shows demand increased across most areas of law, with Residential Conveyancing continuing to be the largest source of complaints – accounting for almost three-quarters of the increase in accepted complaints compared with the previous year.
Consistent with 2024/25, Wills and Probate and Personal Injury were the next largest areas of law by accepted complaints, each representing 14% of the total. The report also identifies growth in accepted complaints across a number of other legal practice areas.
While demand for LeO’s service increased significantly in 2025/26, the report shows that many of the complaints reaching LeO continue to stem from familiar issues.
Communication and delay-related issues continue to be the biggest drivers for complaints being raised – together accounting for 46% of all complaints received.
The report also outlines that in 2025/26:
The report is intended to help providers learn from complaints, identifying common and addressable issues in both service delivery and complaint handling. Its findings underpin LeO’s wider programme of support, guidance and learning resources which aim to help legal service providers improve standards and resolve complaints earlier.
How complaints are handled can play a vital role in building and maintaining trust and confidence. Building on its existing resources, next week LeO will be launching its new Model Complaints Resolution Procedure, developed and piloted in 2025/26 – a significant new resource for the sector.
Chief Ombudsman, Phil Cain, said:
“More than 14,000 people turned to LeO for help in 2025/26. That significant increase in demand highlights the importance of clear communication, timely progression of matters and effective complaint handling in shaping consumers’ experiences of legal services.
“Many legal providers work hard to deliver good service in increasingly complex and pressured environments. But the complaints we see continue to show that too many consumers are being left feeling uncertain about what is happening with their case, why decisions are being made, or how concerns raised through a service provider’s complaints handling process are being addressed.
“Complaints are not just problems to be resolved. They are a valuable source of learning. This report helps identify where consumers are experiencing dissatisfaction and where improvements can be made. Through sharing our insight, we want to ensure the sector has the tools to turn that learning into better services and better outcomes for consumers.”
The full Legal Ombudsman 2025/26 Annual Complaints Data and Insight Report is available here.
Notes to editors
