Complaining to your legal adviser
The best thing you can do if you start having problems with the services your legal adviser is providing is to talk to them.
You should try to sort things out with your legal adviser before you go to their regulator for help. This is because your legal adviser needs a chance to explain, fix the problem or offer a solution. This might be an apology, a refund or extra help.
Most problems can be fixed quickly if your legal adviser knows there is an issue. But if it isn’t fixed, you should complain in writing to the adviser or the firm they work for.
How to make a complaint
You can complain if you are not happy with any aspect of your experience with a legal adviser.
Every regulated legal services provider must make it clear to their clients how to complain.
Before you complain, find out about their complaints process. If they have not already explained this to you, you should be able to find details on their website. If you can’t find details on their website, ask them directly.
Say clearly what your complaint is
When you complain,
- explain what happened,
- say why you are not happy, and
- set out what you want to happen next.
It is important to put all of this in writing if you can. Keep copies of any emails or letters you send to your legal adviser and their replies. If you're unable to complain in writing, let the firm you're complaining to know - they should be able to accept your complaint in another way.
The Legal Ombudsman has created a sample letter of complaint (PDF) that you can use to help write your own.
Think about using an AI chatbot to help you draft a letter of complaint. Here’s an example prompt you could use: “The law firm handling the legal side of my house sale has not been returning my calls or answering my emails. Draft a letter of complaint to the firm.”
What happens next?
- The legal services provider should tell you when they receive your complaint.
- They should explain what will happen next.
- They must look into your complaint and send you their final decision.
- They should also tell you what action they plan to take.
If you are still waiting after eight weeks, or if you are not happy with their answer, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman.
The Legal Ombudsman is independent. It deals with complaints about legal advisers and law firms.
You must contact the Ombudsman within six months of receiving the final response from the legal adviser and within one year of first noticing the problem.
Reporting misconduct
If you believe your legal adviser has been dishonest or has otherwise broken their regulator's rules, you can report them to their regulator. The name of their regulator (e.g., the Solicitors Regulation Authority) should be clearly displayed on their website.
Do keep in mind that a regulator's role is to enforce rules and punish misconduct – not to put things right in your case if they have gone wrong.