The body that handles complaints against solicitors is a ‘success story’ that has met all its performance targets, the legal services complaints commissioner declared last week.

Releasing her sixth and final annual report before the new Office for Legal Complaints replaces the Law Society’s Legal Complaints Service, Zahida Manzoor praised managers and staff.

The report reveals that the LCS met all three of its targets for 2009: to investigate and conclude at least 87% of cases within six months of receipt; to investigate and conclude 100% of cases within 12 months, apart from in exceptional circumstances; and to maintain work in progress levels at 3,445 by 31 December 2009.

Manzoor said: ‘The story told in my final annual report is that of a turnaround in performance in complaints-handling about solicitors. It is truly a success story.’

LCS chief executive Deborah Evans said: ‘I am pleased the commissioner has come to recognise our role in driving the performance of LCS to the levels now enjoyed by consumers of legal services.

‘In the early years of her role, Zahida Manzoor was instrumental in establishing a target driven approach to complaints-handling,’ Evans added.