Barristers

Advocacy quality, advice (opinion) quality, costs/overcharging, delay, conduct (dishonesty/conflict/confidentiality), public access direct instruction disputes

Mandatory ADR

Max award: ££50000

Uphold rate: 69.5% found evidence of poor service (overall LeO rate)%

Key Legislation

Legal Services Act 2007; BSB Handbook 2024; Bar Council Direct Access rules

Complaint Route: Legal Ombudsman

Type: Ombudsman (binding on firm)

Max award: £50,000

Uphold rate: 70%

Average resolution: 90 days

Pre-conditions: Complain to legal provider first; provider has 8 weeks to respond; refer within 1 year of act/omission or 1 year from when complainant knew about the issue

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Companies in This Sector

Magic circle and commercial chambersCriminal Bar Association membersPublic Access barristers (Direct Access portal)~17000 barristers in practice

Annual complaint volume: Included in LeO totals (much smaller volume than solicitors)

Note: Growing public access barrister market. Consumers using barristers directly (bypassing solicitors) have limited understanding of redress routes. LeO jurisdiction same as solicitors.

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Coverage

Tier 2