A new online portal, being introduced as part of ongoing improvements to the Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO) service will enable lawyers to manage Legal Ombudsman complaints in one place from the end of this month.

The portal, will allow lawyers to view complaint details, share information, confirm resolutions and access decisions on complaints. Consumers will also be encouraged to manage their complaint through the portal, enabling them to keep track of what stage the complaint is at.

The portal is one of a number of business transformation initiatives being rolled out by the LeO which, it says, will help it to deliver savings of up to £2m a year and improve its data reporting and analysis while reducing the number of ‘out of jurisdiction’ cases making their way into its assessment centre for consideration.

In parallel to this work, the Ombudsman is developing a new case management system and the website will also receive a makeover including more dynamic and accessible content, a new look and feel, and greater integration with social media.

Next year the scheme will move its operations to a new location in Birmingham, halving its office space and making further reductions to its overheads.

Chief Ombudsman, Adam Sampson, said:

“We are constantly looking at ways in which we can make our service as efficient and cost effective as possible. The portal is one of the key innovations we’re making to achieve this goal.

 

“The portal will have benefits for consumers and lawyers, ultimately making life easier for everyone involved in the complaint process.”