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I will never understand why a separate independent system for legal complaints is necessary?

If a client is unhappy with their Solicitor they are free to withdraw instructions and go elsewhere? If they have suffered a loss through negligence we are all insured?

A separate independent system for a client to get compensation for a service level complaint (such as not returning calls quickly enough or taking too long to process correspondence) is absolutely ridiculous, and something that doesn't happen in other industries. The remedy for the client is immediate - just take your file elsewhere!

My only experience with the legal ombudsman has been with the more savvy clients trying to use the threat of a legal ombudsman complaint to pressure the firm into reducing previously agreed fixed fees or to continue working past the point that the clients money on account has been used.

The whole system is completely unnecessary.