This covers complaints involving:

• solicitors
• conveyancers
• family law solicitors
• divorce lawyers
• probate delays
• wills disputes
• conveyancing failures
• missed court deadlines
• poor communication
• excessive fees
• hidden charges
• lost documents
• negligence
• dishonesty
• fraud
• discrimination
• breach of professional conduct
• barristers (service complaints may differ depending on regulator)

Main routes include:

• complaint to the law firm first
• Legal Ombudsman
• Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
• professional negligence claim
• court action

Official starting point:
Legal Ombudsman – How to complain

FIRST: Decide if this is a COMPLAINT or a NEGLIGENCE / MISCONDUCT CASE

This is critical.

A. COMPLAINT = poor service

Examples:

• solicitor not replying
• delays
• poor communication
• overcharging
• unclear bills
• poor updates
• lost paperwork
• failure to explain
• unreasonable delay in conveyancing
• poor complaint handling

This usually goes to:

Law Firm → Legal Ombudsman

The solicitor must be given a chance to resolve it first. You must start by telling them first and giving them up to 8 weeks to respond.

B. MISCONDUCT = serious professional wrongdoing

Examples:

• dishonesty
• fraud
• discrimination
• taking money improperly
• conflict of interest
• misleading the court
• breach of SRA Code of Conduct
• abuse of client funds

This may require:

SRA report

not just Ombudsman.

The Law Society of England and Wales explains that serious breaches like dishonesty, fraud, or discrimination should be reported to SRA.

C. PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE = financial loss caused

Examples:

• missed limitation deadline
• failed court deadline
• wrong legal advice causing loss
• negligent conveyancing
• negligence in divorce settlement
• probate negligence
• lost compensation claim

This may require:

negligence claim + solicitor

Often separate from complaints.

PART 1 — COMPLAIN TO THE LAW FIRM FIRST

STAGE 1 — Internal Complaint to the Solicitor / Firm

Every firm must have a complaints procedure.

Official guidance:
Complain to your legal service provider

WHAT TO INCLUDE

Subject:

FORMAL COMPLAINT

Include:

• full name
• client reference number
• file reference
• dates
• what happened
• what service failure occurred
• financial loss caused
• what outcome you want
• request fee reduction if appropriate
• request compensation if appropriate

Be clear on what the issue is and how you would like it resolved.

IMPORTANT TIME RULE

Give the firm:

up to 8 weeks

to resolve the complaint.

Legal Ombudsman confirms this.

STAGE 2 — Final Response from the Firm

The law firm should issue:

Final Complaint Response

This should explain:

• their decision
• any refund offered
• compensation
• apology
• correction of mistakes
• signposting to Legal Ombudsman

They must tell you that you have 6 months to take it further to the Legal Ombudsman.

PART 2 — LEGAL OMBUDSMAN

If unresolved:

Escalate to:

Legal Ombudsman

Official site:
Legal Ombudsman

Complaint page:
Bring your complaint to Legal Ombudsman

TIME LIMIT

Usually:

within 6 months

of the firm’s final response

If they fail to signpost correctly, longer may apply.

HOW TO COMPLAIN TO LEGAL OMBUDSMAN

You can:

• use the online complaint form
• use the complaint checker
• submit paper form by post/email if needed

You will usually need:

• your original complaint
• the firm’s final response
• supporting documents
• fee invoices
• evidence of loss

Legal Ombudsman confirms this.

LEGAL OMBUDSMAN CONTACT

Phone:
0300 555 0333

Email:
enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Official contact page:
Legal Ombudsman contact details

Law Society also lists these contact methods.

WHAT LEGAL OMBUDSMAN CAN ORDER

They may require:

• refund of fees
• fee reduction
• compensation
• apology
• work corrected
• documents returned
• another firm paid to fix the issue

This is often the strongest consumer route.

PART 3 — REPORT TO SRA

For serious misconduct:

Use:

Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)

Official page:
Report a solicitor to SRA

Examples:

• dishonesty
• fraud
• discrimination
• client money misuse
• serious misconduct

This is about discipline, not compensation.

Often:

Ombudsman + SRA

together.

PART 4 — BARRISTER COMPLAINTS

If the issue involves a barrister:

Possible routes include:

• chambers complaints process
• Bar Standards Board complaints route

Official page:
Bar Standards Board complaints

PART 5 — PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIM

If the solicitor caused serious financial loss:

Use:

Professional Negligence Claim

Examples:

• lost court claim
• missed limitation deadline
• failed settlement advice
• negligent conveyancing loss

This is usually:

solicitor + civil claim

not just Ombudsman.

Often requires specialist legal advice.

PART 6 — COURT CLAIM

Possible where:

• compensation needed beyond Ombudsman
• negligence claim required
• breach of contract claim

Routes may include:

• County Court
• High Court

depending on value and seriousness.

PART 7 — JUDICIAL REVIEW (rare)

For public law legal service issues only:

Examples:

• legal aid authority decisions
• public authority legal decisions

This is uncommon for ordinary solicitor complaints.

WHAT TO ASK FOR

Always request:

• fee reduction
• refund
• compensation
• correction of legal errors
• file transfer
• urgent release of documents
• apology
• written findings
• disciplinary action where appropriate

VERY IMPORTANT RULE

Always send COPIES, not original documents, in case they are not returned.

Never send originals unless specifically required.

Keep:

• client care letter
• invoices
• fee bills
• attendance notes
• emails
• missed deadline evidence
• court papers
• contracts
• complaint timeline
• proof of posting

This is critical.

Strong Advice

For serious solicitor disputes:

Use BOTH

complaint route + negligence route

where appropriate.

Many people wrongly use only one.

Often you need both.

Especially Important

If:

a deadline was missed

or

court proceedings were lost

this may become:

urgent negligence territory

Do not delay.