The fact that it has received calls from members of the public complaining about everything from bad haircuts to solicitor neighbours playing music too loudly reflects the lack of understanding some people have of the Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman (OLSO).Because of the relationship between consumers and other ombudsmen -- for example, in the fields of banking or housing -- many people mistakenly regard the OLSO as the final arbiter of justice on the consumer battlefield.

This is only partially correct.

As Legal Services Ombudsman, Ann Abraham is the final adjudicator of the way in which complaints against solicitors, barristers and licensed conveyancers are handled by their respective professional bodies.

Unless a complaint has previously been made to one of the three bodies, the ombudsman cannot investigate, nor can the OLSO intervene in an on-going investigation, save in exceptional circumstances.Six months into the job after being appointed by the Lord Chanc ellor, Ms Abraham says it is important to place herself in the client's shoes to get a sense of what would make a wronged consumer of legal services feel comfortable.

The process begins with calls to the office which is based in Manchester.

A seven-strong team of support staff deal with all enquiries at this stage, screening the irrelevant ones and sending out application forms to those who fulfil the criteria.

'We get lots of calls directly from people who have a consumer problem,' says Joanne Rice, the support team leader.

'We try to be as helpful as we can in redirecting their enquiry, but a lot of irrelevant calls still come in.'To be taken forward, an enquiry must be made within three months of the culmination of the investigation by the professional body.

A handful of the 50 or so accepted enquiries are referrals from members of Parliament who are assisting a constituent, but the vast majority originates with the complainant themselves.

Complainants have to complete an application form that requires details on the nature of the problem.

If the application is accepted, the OLSO will request the file from the appropriate professional body and one of the senior investigating officers will sift through it for the relevant material before allocation.

This process involves identifying cases which may be appropriate to deal with quickly and separating those which require a fuller report.There are seven full-time investigating officers at the OLSO, supported by a further seven part-time home workers.

Some are fully qualified solicitors or barristers, but all have some direct legal experience such as time spent working in the courts or as legal executives.The Courts and Legal Services Act 1990, which set up the ombudsman's office, laid down guidelines about what can and cannot be investigated by the officers.

Issues such as a solicitor suing a client for unpaid bills is a matter to be determined by the courts and the OLSO cannot investigate a complaint by a client in this situation.Conduct in court and advice in pleadings that may have been given by a solicitor or a barrister cannot be investigated either, although the OLSO does have authority to look at pre-trial work.

In addition, any issue which has been decided by the professional body's disciplinary tribunal is beyond the ombudsman's remit.The sifting process is probably the most difficult aspect and it is here that legal skills are of valuable assistance in interpreting the legislation.

The investigating officers always try to look for practical solutions if possible.

Lucy Greenbury, a senior investigating officer, says: 'Solicitors are sometimes worried that they can't make representations once the investigation gets under way, but [in fact] they can make them to the officer.

Primarily, we are looking at how the original investigation by the professional body was carried out.'Investigations can take between three to six months, depending on the complexity of the case.

Once completed, the officer will submit a report to Ms Abraham, who then signs it and sends a copy to both the lawyer or licensed conveyancer complained of and to the professional body concerned.

The ombudsman's report is not intended to be regarded as a definitive statement about the rights and wrongs of the matter complained of.

Her report may make recommendations for the relevant body to reconsider the complaint, formally to criticise the professional body or to recommend that the lawyer complained of pays compensation.The lawyer or professional body against whom the recommendation is made must tell the ombudsman within three months of receiving her report what they have done, or will do, to comply with the recommendation.

If they fail to contact her within this time, the ombudsman can require them to publicise their reasons for rejecting the recommendation in whatever way she feels is appropriate.

Failing this, she can publicise details of the case herself and recover the costs of doing so from those concerned.The legal input to the ombudsman's functions serves as an important balance to the social perspective which is supplied by Ms Abraham herself.

She has a separate legal adviser, Nick O'Brien, who ensures the report is a fair assessment, considering the submissions made by the solicitor/barrister/licensed conveyancer or professional bodies concerned.

In addition, Mr O'Brien will take other factors such as the mood of the professional and current conduct rules into account.

'My role essentially involves straddling two different perspectives to bring them together in a creative fusion so that a shared perspective ends up in the final report,' says Mr O'Brien.

Many solicitors are defensive in their attitude towards the investigation, believing that the issue complained of is 'dead and buried', he says.

From Mr O'Briens's point of view, the work the OLSO is doing is achieving a 'modest success' in demystifying the profession and protecting legitimate public expectation.