The spike in conveyancing complaints can be more easily contained if lawyers improve their communication throughout the buying process, the legal ombudsman has advised.

In the third quarter of 2025/26 the ombudsman received 647 complaints relating to residential conveyancing, 18% more than the same period last year. Residential conveyancing now accounts for 36% of complaints accepted by LeO and is by far its biggest source of work.

While the figure is only 0.17% of the 1.1 million residential property transactions completed in 2024/25, the financially stretched obudsman service is anxious to reduce its workload.

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A new article on the LeO website sets out tips to help lawyers strengthen communication, reduce avoidable complaints and protect consumers and firms. It states that the key drivers of complaints are generally issues with communication, unclear or unrealistic expectations and delays that are either unjustified or not explained.

The LeO said it recognises that conveyancing lawyers are working in high pressure environments and face a high workload, and that delay complaints can often be the result of third parties not acting quickly enough.

But the complaints handler stressed that firms should be staying in touch with clients even during periods where no progress is being made, as that is often from where complaints may stem. Periods of silence can be interpreted as lack of progress and leave consumers anxious or frustrated, leading to complaints or repeated queries, the LeO said. 

‘We recognise that providing updates when there is no substantive progress can feel difficult to prioritise alongside active legal work, particularly when delays sit outside the conveyancer’s control. However, insight shows that short, predictable updates - even when there is nothing new to report - can improve consumer satisfaction, prevent escalation and reduce the volume of incoming queries over time.’

The ombudsman said that while the average duration of a property purchase in 2024 was 17 weeks - twice the time clients typically expect. Lawyers are urged to give clear information at the outset and reduce unrealistic or unclear expectations.

‘When expectations are set clearly at the outset, many service providers find this reduces reactive chasing, repeat explanations, and improves consumer experience, which reduces the potential for complaints,’ said the ombudsman. ‘While early conversations can feel time intensive, they often help to ensure that the service provider’s resources can be used to progress the transaction, which is particularly important in high volume caseloads.’