Legal Complaints Service

The Legal Complaints Service (LCS) investigates complaints about solicitors. We handle over 300 calls a day on a range of legal complaints. We have a dedicated staff of 390 helping you to resolve your complaint.

COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR SOLICITOR - FIRST STEPS You should complain to your solicitor about poor service or their bill before you contact us. It is likely that you've received poor service from your solicitor if they've;

▪ not done what you instructed them to do
▪ involved you in unreasonable delays
▪ given you inaccurate or incomplete information
▪ failed to reply to your phone calls and letters or keep you informed about what is going on
▪ failed to give you enough information about what they'll charge you before they begin your case or give you the final bill

All firms of solicitors have a procedure for handling complaints. If you need help to complain to your solicitor, call our helpline– 0845 608 6565.

WHEN TO CONTACT US If your solicitor doesn't reply to your complaint within a reasonable time (normally 28 days). If you're not satisfied with your solicitor's reply to your complaint. Call our helpline – 0845 608 6565, email or write to us. When contacting us please include all relevant documents. It would help us to process your complaint if you supplied copies (keeping originals for your records). Do not use pins or staples to secure the papers. We have time limits for dealing with complaints. You should contact us within six months of the end of the work the solicitor did for you, or within six months of finding out there was a problem

LEGAL SERVICES OMBUDSMAN If you're unhappy with our decision or the way in which we've handled your complaint, you can contact the Legal Services Ombudsman (LSO). The LSO oversees our complaints-handling operations and acts as an independent voice. If you want the LSO to review your file, you should contact the LSO within three months of the date of our decision. Contacting the LSO Legal Services Ombudsman Third Floor Sunlight House Quay Street Manchester M3 3JZ Phone: 0845 601 0794 Fax: 0161 832 5446 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE'S SOLICITOR We can't deal with your complaint if it is about the service provided by someone else's solicitor or about the impact on you of the actions of someone else's solicitor – for example, divorce proceedings. Action can only be taken if the solicitor has broken the rules of professional conduct – which all solicitors must follow. Breaking these rules, is called misconduct. Some examples of possible misconduct;

▪ the solicitor lies to you or others the solicitor uses his or her position to gain unfair advantage of you
▪ the solicitor is holding money that belongs to you
▪ the solicitor fails to comply with an undertaking they have given to you or your solicitor
▪ the solicitor discriminates against you on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age

If the solicitor has engaged in misconduct, the Solicitors Regulation Authority can take action in the public interest. But the SRA can't pay you compensation. Before you write to us, it might be useful to discuss your concerns with your own solicitor, or call our helpline – 0845 608 6565.