Legal Ombudsman
Law Society to LeO: Ask government, not lawyers, for more cash
The Law Society has told the Legal Ombudsman to ask the government for “Covid-related financial assistance” instead of expecting the profession to fund a proposed 19% budget hike.
Legal Ombudsman dilemma: Increase funding or find an alternative
The decision on whether to approve a 19% increase in the Legal Ombudsman’s budget is likely to be “finely balanced”, with the possibility of having to find an alternative to it lurking in the background.
First approval given for Legal Ombudsman’s in-year budget increase
The Legal Ombudsman’s first ever in-year call for supplementary budget, seeking an extra £344,000, has gone to the Lord Chancellor for approval after being given the green light by the Legal Services Board.
Legal Ombudsman seeks 19% budget hike
The Legal Ombudsman is planning a 19% increase in its budget for 2021/22, and a further 6% the year after, arguing the scheme is currently in an “unsustainable position”.
LeO to seek in-year budget supplement for first time
The Legal Ombudsman is set to make its first ever in-year call for supplementary budget, seeking an extra £344,000 to make up in part for previous miscalculations, Legal Futures can reveal.
Legal Ombudsman hires new leadership team
The Legal Ombudsman has brought in an experienced public services ombudsman and a senior civil servant to lead its management through the next phase of reform.
Legal Ombudsman urges CMA to extend reach to unregulated firms
The Office for Legal Complaints, the governing body of the Legal Ombudsman, has renewed its call for it to be allowed to extend its reach to unregulated legal services providers.
LeO warns over emerging trend of holiday sickness complaints
The Legal Ombudsman has warned law firms against making holiday sickness claims without “verifying the version of events” obtained by claims management companies as complaints rise.
Government eyes regulating the law’s unregulated providers
The Ministry of Justice is considering whether to create a register of unregulated providers of legal services and give their clients access to redress if things go wrong, it emerged yesterday.
LeO presses ahead with plan to publish decisions in full
The Legal Ombudsman is to press ahead with plans to publish its full decisions, as well as annual reviews of the most complained-about lawyers and firms, it has decided.
Blog
Change in regulator shouldn’t make AML less of a priority
While SRA fines for AML have been climbing, many in the profession aren’t confident they will get any relief from the FCA, a body used to dealing with a highly regulated industry.
There are 17 million wills waiting to be written
The main reason cited by people who do not have a will was a lack of awareness as to how to arrange one. As a professional community, we seem to be failing to get our message across.
The case for a single legal services regulator: why the current system is failing
From catastrophic firm collapses to endemic compliance failures, the evidence is mounting that the current multi-regulator model is fundamentally broken.
