Can a club refer a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman?

My firm advised the management committee of a golf club on constitutional changes. The chair was unhappy with the service and complained. As the complaints partner, I’ve exhausted our internal procedure. They want to refer the complaint to LeO. Can it deal with complaints from a club?

The golf club may be able to submit a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO).

The criteria for accepting complaints from designated bodies are set out in the Legal Ombudsman Scheme Rules.

Paragraph 2.1(d) confirms that LeO will accept a complaint from:

“a club or association, the affairs of which are managed by its members, or a committee of its members, that had an annual income net of tax of less than £1 million when it referred the complaint to the authorised person.”

Accordingly, LeO may accept the complaint depending upon the net annual income of the club at the time that the complaint was first referred to your firm.

Disclaimer

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this article, it does not constitute legal advice and cannot be relied upon as such. The Law Society does not accept any responsibility for liabilities arising as a result of reliance upon the information given.

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