The Law Society Gazette recently reported that, according to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO), complaints against lawyers have risen to a record high. According to the article, the service received nearly 3,500 complaints in the period from October to December last year, up by 37% on the same period in 2024.

The areas of law attracting the most complaints accepted by the LeO in Q3 included:

• Residential conveyancing with 647 complaints
• Personal Injury with 271 complaints
• Wills and Probate with 254 complaints

Most of the complaints centred around poor service and poor communication. The accelerating consumer demand for help from the industry ombudsman reflects increasing client willingness to escalate concerns and growing pressure on firms to demonstrate transparency, accountability and responsiveness. Firms should also prepare themselves for heightened scrutiny, not only from dissatisfied clients, but from the LeO and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

Read the full article here: The Law Gazette: Complaint numbers rocket to record high.

Even the most diligent firms will, from time to time, receive a complaint or regulatory query. The issue is not whether complaints arise, but how efficiently, objectively, and proportionately they are managed.

With complaint volumes increasing sector-wide, now is an appropriate time to ask: How efficient is your client complaints handling process?

Complaints Are More Than an Admin Task

Complaint handling often gets viewed as a necessary inconvenience. Something to “deal with” between fee-earning work.  

In reality, it sits squarely within a firm’s regulatory obligations. The SRA expects firms to deal with complaints promptly, fairly and transparently. The Legal Ombudsman expects structured engagement and evidence of proper investigation. And clients, understandably, expected to be taken seriously. Read our previous article: How Efficient Is Your Client Complaints Handling Process?

You can also access further guidance from the Law Society on handling complaints here: Client Care – Handling Complaints.

The Regulatory and Commercial Risk of Poor Complaint Handling

Where firms struggle isn’t usually the intent. It’s the time, resource, and objectivity.

Dealing with a complaint diverts senior fee earners into non-billable work, can strain internal relationships, and if the response is slow or defensive, escalation becomes much more likely.

Slow response times and inefficient handling of a complaint can cause further frustration and increase the risk of the complaint being escalated to the Legal Ombudsman or the SRA.

Handling Complaints In-House: Control or Constraint?

For many firms, there is a natural instinct to keep complaint handling in-house. It feels more controlled, appears cost-effective, and on the service seems more efficient.

However, in practice, it is often more complicated.

Senior staff or compliance officers already juggling heavy workloads are asked to investigate, which may result in delayed responses or investigations that lack the necessary depth. The individual reviewing the complaint may know the fee earner involved, or may have worked on the matter themselves, meaning that complete impartiality can be difficult. Even with the best intentions, independence can be questioned.

Then there is timing. Efficient complaint handling needs momentum. If complaints sit in a queue behind billable work, frustration grows. Clients escalate not always because the original issue was severe, but because they felt unheard or forgotten about.

That is a pattern we see repeatedly.

As complaint volumes increase across the profession, firms must consider whether their current structure is sustainable, not just compliant on paper.

Why Firms Are Turning to Outsourced Complaint Support

Whilst most firms receive very few complaints, the handling of them is a cost which cannot be recovered, and they are an unfortunate diversion for senior staff and fee earners. Firms that choose to outsource complaint handling isn’t about losing control, in many cases, it restores it.

Clients frequently respond more constructively when an independent expert is involved. The presence of a neutral third party can reduce emotion and encourage early resolution.

For smaller firms without a dedicated compliance infrastructure, outsourcing adds capacity and expertise. For larger firms, it frees up senior professionals to focus on operational delivery rather than non-recoverable investigations.

And perhaps most importantly, it reduces the likelihood of escalation.

Managing Complaints Effectively in 2026

With complaint numbers at a record high, firms should consider reviewing:

• Whether their complaints policy reflects current SRA guidance and transparency rules
• Whether response times are monitored and documented
• Whether investigations are demonstrably impartial
• Whether root cause analysis is undertaken to prevent recurrence
• Whether senior management oversight is properly evidenced

Complaint handling is not a tick-box exercise. It should form part of a wider compliance and risk management framework.

Done well, it protects reputation and strengthens client trust. Done poorly, it becomes a gateway to regulatory scrutiny.

Why Law Firms Are Choosing RACO’s Complaint Management Service

The Regulation and Compliance Office has designed a Complaint Management Service to deliver to firms an outsourced, independent, and efficient way of managing complaints. We cover the full lifecycle of a complaint, from first notification through to investigation and client engagement to final resolution.

The assistance of an external expert who specialises in the handling, management and resolution of complaints is both a cost-effective and focused way of ensuring any complaints received by your firm are resolved effectively.

What this means in practice:

• Fee earners stay focused on delivering legal services
• Complaints are addressed promptly and proportionately
• Investigations are impartial and structured
• Escalation to the Legal Ombudsman is actively managed, and often avoided
• Should the matter proceed to the Legal Ombudsman, we will manage this to the final conclusion (if required)

Access detailed information on this service by downloading our brochure here:

RACO Complaint Management Service

Get In Touch 

To ask any questions about the Regulation and Compliance Office and how we can support your Law Firm, please call us on 0203 985 8550, complete the online enquiry form, or email us info@regulationandcomplianceoffice.co.uk