Legal Ombudsman
Law firms failing to tell clients who complain that they can go to LeO
Only a third of law firms are telling clients who make a complaint that they can refer it to the Legal Ombudsman if they are not satisfied with the outcome, research by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has found. The report also revealed limited support among firms for the compulsory publication of first-tier complaints data.
Exclusive: Paralegal bodies split by “irreconcilable differences” as regulator pushes for expansion
One of the two paralegal bodies which developed the Professional Paralegal Register (PPR) to act as a voluntary regulator for the sector, has decided to pull out after only two years, it has emerged. The National Association of Licensed Paralegals withdrew this summer, citing “irreconcilable differences” over the values and purpose of the PPR.
Next Chief Legal Ombudsman unveiled
The Legal Ombudsman has appointed Rebecca Marsh as its new Chief Ombudsman. Ms Marsh is currently the executive director of operations and investigations, as well as deputy ombudsman, at the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Lawyers aim to “intimidate” clients who complain, says report
Some clients worry about being “bamboozled by legal jargon” if they complain to their lawyers, a fear that can be borne out by responses that are “seeming calculated to ‘overwhelm’ or ‘intimidate’ the customer”, according to new research.
Legal Ombudsman: Finances finally in order but now performance needs to improve
The Legal Ombudsman has to improve its performance, the chief ombudsman admitted yesterday as its annual report showed that it lagged badly on the speed with which it dealt with complaints. However, user satisfaction with the service – the proxy used for quality – was well above target, although it fell significantly on the year before.
Chief Legal Ombudsman to follow organisation’s chief executive out of the door
The Chief Legal Ombudsman is to leave her post, it has been announced – just days after the government praised the work she has done to revive the standing of her organisation and a few weeks after the service’s chief executive said he was leaving too.
Government rules out complete separation of regulators from representative bodies
The government indicated today that it will not go ahead with plans to completely separate legal regulators from their linked professional bodies, such as the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Law Society. It came in a review of the Legal Services Board and Office for Legal Complaints that found both “generally operating efficiently and effectively”.
Legal market “at standstill” as clients fail to shop around – but they are happy with lawyers they pick
The legal services market is “at a standstill”, with consumers still relying “too heavily on reputation” and reluctant to shop around, the Legal Services Consumer Panel has said. At the same time, however, their satisfaction with the advice they received was high.
Barrister with history of failing to co-operate with BSB and LeO suspended for two years
A commercial barrister has been suspended from practice for failing to comply with an order of the Legal Ombudsman and requests from his own regulator, only two years after a series of similar findings as well as a suspension for handling client money when he should not have done.
LeO keen on bringing unregulated providers within its remit
The Legal Ombudsman has pledged to avoid pursuing an “expansionist” strategy when considering expanding its jurisdiction, but nevertheless welcomed the Competition and Markets Authority’s suggestion that it could handle complaints against unregulated legal providers.