Legal Ombudsman

The number of complaints about lawyers has fallen to its lowest level since the opening of the Legal Ombudsman, its much-delayed annual report and accounts have shown. The delay was caused by the continuing problems with LeO’s accounts, which for the second year running have been qualified by the National Audit Office over nearly £250,000 paid to staff in benefits.

The Legal Ombudsman has set out plans for further cuts in the amount it spends on complaints about law firms, but more on claims management companies. LeO also warned that the Ministry of Justice was imposing “increasingly restrictive spending controls”.

The number of complaints to the Legal Ombudsman about claims management companies is gathering pace and passed 15,000 in the first nine months of 2015, it has emerged. LeO said almost half of the complaints were about fees.

The Office for Legal Complaints is to put in place a new performance plan for the Legal Ombudsman next year to tackle falling standards, it has emerged. Steve Green, chair of the OLC, promised things would be on an “upward trajectory” next year.

In a further twist to an already complicated saga, the Legal Ombudsman has decided not to become a certified alternative dispute resolution body for the time being. Certification would double LeO’s deadline for complaints from six to 12 months.

Kathryn Stone, a police complaints commissioner, is to become chief ombudsman at the Legal Ombudsman in January next year. The appointment comes at a time when new figures put LeO under further pressure from the Legal Services Board over deteriorating performance against its targets.

The number of complaints about claims management companies received by the Legal Ombudsman in the first six months of this year has hit almost 9,000 – a far higher amount than expected. However the number actually investigated was lower than predicted.

The one-time Chief Legal Ombudsman, Adam Sampson, has hit back at his former employer’s version of his departure, telling MPs that it included statements that “risk accusations of misleading Parliament”. He said claims that he was dismissed from his post were “simply untrue”.

Former Chief Legal Ombudsman Adam Sampson was dismissed with notice from his post, the Office for Legal Complaints has now said – having previously indicated that he was not. However, Mr Sampson is maintaining his position that he resigned and served out his six-month notice period.

Ministry of Justice (MoJ) officials were wrong to tell MPs this week that the former Chief Legal Ombudsman, Adam Sampson, was dismissed from his post. The MoJ has sought to blame the Office of Legal Complaints – the board that oversees the Legal Ombudsman service – for the error.