Cain: Clear and sustained increase
The rising tide of complaints to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) continues to accelerate, with 37% more in the last quarter of 2025 compared to a year earlier, according to new figures.
The 3,496 new complaints it received over the three months is higher than any quarter on record.
The demand is putting “a significant strain” on the service, which said in a quarterly update that the picture has changed even since LeO published its budget and business plan consultation in November.
This predicted that new complaints would increase by 26% year-on-year to 31 March 2026, but the figure is now 30%, “exceeding LeO’s worst-case projections”, and it expects this to get even worse in the current quarter.
LeO said its latest forecast was to receive over 14,000 complaints overall in 2025-26, compared to 10,047 in the previous 12 months and just 6,439 in 2019-20. Not all go to a full investigation – 48% of the complaints accepted in the last quarter were assigned to its early resolution procedure.
The update did not say how long those awaiting investigation will have to wait just to be allocated to a member of staff, let alone resolved – LeO’s inability to control the backlog of cases for investigation has long been its major failure and its proposed 12.1% budget increase was to help reduce it.
A quarter of complaints accepted in the quarter were about poor communication and delay and 22% on a failure to progress, while 36% concerned residential conveyancing.
Of the investigations completed in the quarter, LeO found evidence of poor service in 69% of them – reaching 81% in cases involving wills and probate – and evidence of poor complaints handling in 43%. It directed a total of £869,300 in remedies to put things right, with compensation for emotional effects awarded in 82% of the complaints where evidence of poor service was found.
“Compensation for emotional effects is frequently the most overlooked remedy at first tier [ie by service providers],” LeO said. “A significant number of complaints may have been resolved earlier had appropriate compensation for emotional effects been offered when service failings were acknowledged.”
More than a quarter of complaints resolved (27%) led to a refund, reduction or a waiver of a service provider’s costs, while 12% saw compensation for financial loss (12%).
Chief ombudsman Phil Cain said: “LeO’s latest data shows a clear and sustained increase in the number of people seeking its help. This rise in demand underscores the importance of robust first-tier complaint handling, supported by strong communication and timely responses.
“LeO recognises the pressures legal service providers are working under and is committed to supporting the sector to respond effectively.
“Our learning and insight resources are designed to help providers understand the themes we are seeing and make practical improvements to their processes.”
LeO’s experience of sharply increasing complaints over the last year has been mirrored by both the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Bar Standards Board, with none able to identify why.
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