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The new legal ombudsman service will open on 6 October 2010, chief ombudsman Adam Sampson has said.
The new service, set up by the Office for Legal Complaints and based in Birmingham, will replace the Legal Complaints Service based in Leamington Spa.
Earlier this year the Law Society lost a judicial review over whether TUPE applied to existing complaints staff at Leamington Spa (see solicitorsjournal.com 26 February 2010).
“The Legal Ombudsman is vital in simplifying the current system,” Sampson said. “When we open people will be able to seek help from an independent and impartial body.
“Our priority now is to work with the legal profession, the advice sector and consumers to make sure people understand how we will work and how they can find us.
“I believe that lawyers in particular should feel relieved that we are on track to open in October. Bringing together redress for legal services within one independent body represents good value for money for the profession as well as giving everyone – consumers and lawyers – greater confidence in the system.”
Justice minister Jonathan Djanogly said the legal ombudsman would provide a “single clear and efficient complaints service to ensure we have the best possible legal services, at a time when more firms, and different types of firms, will be able to join the industry.”