Blakeway: Genuine improvements
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) continued to miss its key timeliness targets over the last year – but by less than the previous 12 months, its annual report has shown.
This reflects both the service’s improving standards and its fast-growing caseload – up 36% in the year to 31 March.
It is also why last month it published plans for radical reform [1] of its scheme rules, including how much law firms will have to pay for cases reaching LeO.
LeO has a target to resolve 80% of low-complexity complaints within 325 days but only managed 28% in 2025-26, up from 24% the previous year.
It is also charged with resolving 80% of medium and high-complexity complaints within 500 days but achieved 59% and 64% respectively. But this was compared with 30% and 24% in 2024-25.
The number of complaints resolved over the year was 8,199, slightly lower than the previous year, while the number of new complaints shot up 36% from 10,447 to 14,259.
Nearly 52% of cases were resolved by early resolution (within 90 days). Where cases reached a decision, LeO found poor service in 72% of them and evidence of unreasonable complaints handling
in 46%.
The volume of cases awaiting assessment has long been LeO’s main problem and it is getting worse again. On 1 April 2025, there were 3,275 cases in the queue and this fell to 2,767 a year later.
But the target was 1,929 and in April LeO said the decision [2] not to give it the budget for this year that it was seeking would mean unallocated investigations hitting 4,939 by 31 March 2027 and 7,602 the year after.
Residential conveyancing accounted for 36% of complaints last year, well ahead of personal injury and wills and probate, making up 14% of complaints each, and family law and litigation (both 10%).
Poor communication (24%), delay and failure to progress (22%) and failure to advise (19%) were the main issues consumers complained about – cost featured in 9% of complaints.
LeO’s cost per case – organisational expenditure divided by number of complaints resolved – was £2,439, against a target of £2,065.
A more positive statistic was with staff, which again has been a problem for some years, with low morale and significant turnover.
Turnover was 11%, compared to 14% in 2024-25 and a target of 19%, while the 2025 Civil Service People Survey recorded LeO’s highest-ever engagement score of 60%.
Ric Blakeway, the chair of the Office for Legal Complaints – the board that oversees LeO – said: “This report demonstrates genuine improvements in LeO’s performance, and resilience in the face of unprecedented demand.
“As the chief ombudsman sets out in his report, LeO’s people continued to deliver for its customers under significant operational strain…
“Looking ahead, LeO must transform to meet the demands placed upon it – as part of a wider transformation in the legal sector’s culture around complaints.
“I am confident that the organisation has the vision, evidence, leadership and commitment needed to take this next step.”