Conveyancing and divorce top of consumer complaints

Conveyancing snags and divorce outcomes top the list of consumer complaints against lawyers.

According to the first statistics by the Legal Ombudsman since the new complaints service launched in October last year, just over 20 per cent (20.19) of the 3,768 cases accepted for investigation were about residential conveyancing and 19.19 per cent were about family law.

Next were wills and probate (13.35 per cent), general litigation (10.33 per cent) and personal injury (9.83 per cent).

Complaints about employment law service came sixth (6.86 per cent), followed by crime (5.62 per cent), and property '“ a separate category from conveyancing (4.59 per cent).

Complaints were also broken down by type, with costs representing nearly one in five complaints. They were perceived as 'excessive' in ten per cent of cases and information about cost was seen as 'deficient' in nine per cent of cases.

Consumers also complained about failure to advise (16 per cent), failure to follow instructions (15 per cent) and delay (12 per cent).

The statistics did not specifically record claims in respect of publicly funded work. Among the nine categories featured in the list, immigration and asylum, the only area where claims are predominantly funded by legal aid, attracted the smallest number of complaints (4.12 per cent).

Between 6 October 2010 and 31 March 2011 LeO was approached by 38,155 people, the vast majority of whom made initial contact by phone (70 per cent).

Most complaints were resolved informally '“ LeO's preferred route '“ with 103 determined following the involvement of an ombudsman.

Direct compensation in cases where complaints were upheld tended to be low value, according to a selection of cases studies posted on LeO's website.

A man who complained successfully that his solicitor's failure to send conveyancing documents by registered post had caused him a loss received an apology and £50 as a goodwill gesture.

In another conveyancing case, a woman received an apology and a hamper for delays in completion. The solicitors were not to blame for the delays but LeO said they could have kept her informed.

In other cases, complainants had lawyers' fees waived or reduced significantly. One firm agreed to waive £1,000 worth of fees after delays in executing a will, while another refunded a client £2,000 for failing to provide clear explanations about funding arrangements if the case went to court.