The Legal Ombudsman is a new organisation, set up under the Legal Services Act 2007. The Legal Ombudsman is an independent of the legal profession. People can come to the Legal Ombudsman if they are unhappy with the service provided by lawyers or others providing legal services and they have not been able to sort the matter out with the lawyers themselves. Their aim is to provide a complaint handling service that is fair, accessible, and easy to use and which focuses on resolving complaints informally and quickly.
On behalf of the Legal Ombudsman, Investigators work in the Resolution Centre and focus on bringing parties to a complaint to an informal resolution as quickly as possible. Investigators work in small teams under the guidance of a team leader. Investigators will come from a wide range of backgrounds and experience. They will be provided with initial training in systems, processes and legal content, with emphasis on investigative skills and facilitating resolution. Investigators will continue to develop their skills and experience over time progressing through the levels of a competency matrix.
An Investigator should be able to take on any case; however, experienced Investigators may develop in-depth knowledge in a particular area. The objective in all cases that come to an Investigator is to reach a resolution to the dispute. The Legal Ombudsman has a statutory mandate to resolve disputes however if either party is unwilling to engage in informal resolution we will investigate the complaint acknowledging that the consumer has a right to an Ombudsman decision.
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