Has Civil Legal Advice caused you injustice?

Yes. Poor service — such as unexplained delays, weak communication, missed deadlines or unclear costs — can be taken to the Legal Ombudsman once the firm has had the chance to resolve it. The Legal Ombudsman deals with service quality rather than professional misconduct.

Poor service is about how the provider handled your matter and is dealt with by the Legal Ombudsman, which can order compensation and fee reductions. Negligence — where substandard work causes a measurable financial loss — is usually a professional negligence claim pursued through the courts, which is a separate legal process.

In most cases yes. Give the provider up to eight weeks to respond, then you can normally take a service complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of their final response. Acting promptly protects your right to escalate.

You can question fees that were not clearly explained or that exceeded what was agreed. The Legal Ombudsman can reduce or refund fees on a service complaint, and separately a court can formally assess a solicitor’s bill under the Solicitors Act — usually within tight time limits.

Service complaints to the Legal Ombudsman are generally subject to a six-month window from the firm’s final response, and time limits from when the problem happened. Professional negligence claims usually have a six-year limitation period, so it is best to seek guidance early.