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The Office for Legal Complaints has announced further moves to set up a new ombudsman scheme that will investigate and resolve complaints by consumers of legal services.

The announcement comes on the same day as an order was laid in Parliament to enable the Legal Services Board to begin work as overseeing regulator in January 2010.

Justice Minister Bridget Prentice said:

‘It is essential that people using legal services know that they are well regulated. This ambition is brought a step closer with the establishment of an impartial complaints-handling service and legal ombudsman all under one roof.

‘Customers will see a service that is simpler and quicker and guaranteed to provide impartial redress for when things go wrong.

‘Around 350 new jobs will be created once the Office for Legal Complaints begins operation in late 2010. I do not want to lose the skills and experience built up in old legal complaints-handling and ombudsman system, so staff already working in that system will be given first opportunity to apply for jobs at the new body in Birmingham.

‘The Legal Services Act 2007 introduces a fresh approach to the regulation of legal services and, following the introduction into Parliament today of an Order to give the new Legal Services Board its regulatory powers as of 1 January 2010, represents a significant step forward in creating a better regulated legal services sector.’

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