The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has released its annual complaints data and insight for 2024/25, which reveals an increase in demand for help that has continued to rise significantly in the first half of 2025/26.
The report – which covers complaints received and resolved by the LeO between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 – reveals an 8% increase in new complaints compared to the previous year (to 7,203), with an 18% rise in the number of cases accepted for in-depth investigation (an increase of 566).
The latest complaints data for 2025/26 reveals a further marked increase in demand, with complaints rising by almost a quarter (24%) in the first half of the reporting period compared to the corresponding period in 2024/25.
Residential conveyancing accounted for the highest volume of complaints accepted, with 30% of the total (2,153), followed by wills and probate with 16% (1,128). More than half of the legal practice areas experienced an increase in complaint volumes of more than 10%. The largest increase was in wills and probate, which jumped by 28% compared to the previous year, with complaints about family law up by 11%.
‘Complaints in residential conveyancing largely centred on poor communication and delays, often in connection with missed deadlines for purchases or sales’, the LeO said.
“Although many conveyancers strive to provide good service amid a challenging market and tight deadlines like Stamp Duty Land Tax changes, or with third-party delays outside of the service providers’ control, issues persist.”
Although many of the complaints about wills and probate issues also related to poor communication, they are ‘becoming more complex’, the LeO said.
“The main issues we saw in the complaints brought to us involved poor communication, delays, and unhappiness with the advice that had been given. But we also investigated many complaints about costs, which should be clearly explained to all interested parties.”
In family law, common complaints related to the quality and reasonableness of advice about potential outcomes, concerns over communication and delays.
‘Family law, like many legal fields, can be highly emotional and challenging for all parties involved, including service providers’, the LeO said.
“Many professionals strive to support their clients effectively during difficult situations such as divorce or child-related matters. However, this area has experienced an increase in issues related to poor complaint handling, despite a modest reduction in instances of substantiated poor service.”
Overall, the most common complaints related to poor communication (24%), delay and failure to progress (23%), and failure to advise (19%). Other significant complaint types included failure to follow instructions (8%) and costs (8%).
‘Communication challenges often contribute to complaints about delays or a lack of progress, as clients’ expectations for updates may differ from what service providers can reasonably offer’, the LeO noted.
Poor communication was the most commonly upheld complaint (25%), followed by delay and failure to progress (18%), complaints about costs (11%), failure to advise (11%) and failure to follow instructions (7%).
Standards of service and of Tier 1 complaint handling ‘remained poor in too many cases’, the ombudsman said.
Findings of evidence of poor service have increased from 65% in 2022/23, to 69% in 2023/24 and 70% in 2024/25. Residential conveyancing had one of the largest incidences of evidence of poor service rates at 78% (658 complaints), followed by wills and probate at 76% (260 complaints).
Findings of poor complaint handling climbed from 45% in 2023/24, to 46% in 2023/24 and reached 49% in 2024/25. Residential conveyancing had the highest rate of poor complaint handling at 58% (493 complaints), with wills and probate at 49% (168 complaints).
‘These trends not only fuel demand for the Legal Ombudsman, but lengthen waiting times for those needing our help’, the LeO said. The report added:
“We acknowledge the considerable effort that many providers invest in maintaining high standards of service. We recognise that many are striving to deliver quality service despite evolving legal requirements or circumstances beyond their control.
“As an organisation dealing with complaints, we inevitably see more of what’s gone wrong. But our casework also highlights examples of good service, and we are committed to sharing more of these through our learning and insight work. Nonetheless, our casework indicates that there remain opportunities for further improvement overall.”
A total of £3,708,674 was awarded to complainants in financial remedies, which in many cases included compensation for financial loss as well as the emotional impact. Compensation was awarded in 86% of complaints, averaging £427.
In a quarter of the remedies (26%), the LeO recommended that service providers refund, reduce or waive fees, resulting in an average refund of £3,249. Compensation for direct financial loss was recommended in 15% of resolutions, averaging £5,186.
One Response
And how about there being a financial penalty for unmeritorious complaints?
We have all had to waste time and effort dealing with clients who didn’t get the result that they wanted, and try to manipulate a “complaint” in an attempt to secure a fee reduction, or to delay settling an outstanding invoice.
A £500.00 fee, payable in advance in such circumstances might dissuade the timewasters