Legal Complaints Service

? Copyright David Stowell and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

The Legal Complaints Service (LCS) is an independent complaints handling body that handles complaints about solicitors. Currently it is part of the Law Society (although it claims to operate independently) but in November 2010 its role will pass to the The Office of Legal Complaints operating through the Legal Ombudsman. As such it will become the main contact point for consumers who wish to complain about any aspect of legal services, whether it be about solicitors, legal executives, barristers, patent attorneys or copyright agents. The Legal Ombudsman is dealt with separately on this web site.

The LCS operates in a delegated capacity to the Law Society which requires the LCS to exercise the complaints handling function in an independent manner and in the public interest. Previously known as the Consumer Complaints Service (CCS) and, before that the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors (OSS) and Solicitors Complaints Bureau (SCB), the LCS has a history of handling complaints about solicitors and has been based at its offices in Leamington Spa for several years.

The services of the LCS are confidential and free to use. The LCS state that they look at each case impartially and try to find a solution that is acceptable for everyone concerned. Complaints about poor service and complaints about a solicitors bill are handled separately.

Where a complaint is about poor service the LCS will notify the solicitor of the complaint and will then try and mediate that complaint and get the client and the solicitor to agree on a way in which it can be resolved. If however agreement cannot be reached the the LCS may itself make a formal decision about the matter and may order the solicitor to:

• reduce their bill
• pay compensation to the client
• correct any mistake which may have been made and pay any costs that are involved

In some cases the LCS may even decide not to take any further action if they believe that the complaint is unjustified. However, even in these cases the LCS may still undertake some initial fact-finding to satisfy themselves that the matter should not be taken further.

In the event that the solicitor complained about is believed to have breached the Solicitors’ Code of Conduct 2007, then the case may be referred to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).