Legal Services Ombudsman

We aim to deal with every complaint efficiently. However things do not always go according to plan.

If you are dissatisfied with the way we have handled your complaint you can apply to the Legal Services Ombudsman (LSO).

You must contact the LSO within three months of our final decision. If you take longer it is unlikely that the LSO will be able to help you. The LSO may extend the deadline if there are "special reasons" for doing so.

"Special reasons" are circumstances outside of your control that prevent you referring your case to the LSO before the deadline. For example, you or a member of your family might be seriously ill.

What can the LSO do?

The LSO will check that all of your complaints were addressed within a reasonable time. The LSO will want to be satisfied that our decision was reasonable and will look at any other issues you may have about us.

The LSO can widen the investigation to include the cause of your original complaint to us. The LSO's role is not to treat every case as if it were an appeal against our decision. If the LSO believes that a complaint has not been properly investigated, will recommend

• that we look at the matter again
• that we pay you compensation