Legal Ombudsman
Legal Ombudsman in last chance saloon after budget increase approved
Approval for a 13% increase in the budget of the Legal Ombudsman has come with a warning that it must make deliver this time or face losing its role in dealing with complaints against lawyers.
LeO set to receive £5 more per lawyer but told investment must now deliver
The Legal Ombudsman has scaled back its planned increased budget for the coming year, but it is still set to increase by 13%, or another £5 per lawyer.
Exits slow as staff morale rises rapidly at Legal Ombudsman
There has been a striking improvement in staff morale at the Legal Ombudsman, where the proportion of staff desperate to find another job has fallen from a third to just 8% in a year.
LeO found to have discriminated against ombudsman
The Legal Ombudsman has paid compensation to one of its ombudsmen after being found guilty of indirect sex discrimination, Legal Futures can reveal.
LeO “setting itself up to fail” with budget plans
The Legal Ombudsman is “setting itself up to fail” by proposing to give itself more work than it can cope with and asking for an “extraordinary high” budget increase of 19%.
LeO “needs external help” to speed up complaints handling
The Legal Ombudsman’s proposed 19% budget increase is not justified, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers has said in calling for an external task force to help it deal with complaints more quickly.
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.