The latest episode of the Today’s Conveyancer podcast welcomes Senior Ombudsman at the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) Clair Daniel to explore the current landscape of legal complaints handling, the challenges facing firms, and the strategic work underway to improve first‑tier resolution across the legal sector.

The backdrop to the discussion is the increase in the number of cases in which LeO identify poor complaints handling, up from 46% in 2023/24 to 49% in 2024/25; and efforts to stop complaints at source by equipping firms to better deal with issues before they become complaints.

Daniel says demand for LeO’s services has risen sharply, across all areas of law, with several likely drivers: rising customer expectations shaped by instantaneous digital communication, cost‑of‑living pressures increasing the inclination to complain, and sheer volume of transactions. Communication and delay remain the two most common causes of complaint—together accounting for around 47% of complaints. Often, complaints arise from mismanaged expectations, such as unclear service‑level agreements or clients misunderstanding the steps and timeframes in transactions.

There is the increasing role AI plays in complaints to consider. LeO is increasingly seeing (as are firms) consumers rely on tools such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot to produce lengthy, formalised, and at times overly legalistic complaints, complete with copied‑and‑pasted case law. While understandable, this can hinder early, informal resolution. She encourages firms to avoid mirroring an escalated tone, instead refocusing on the core issue and maintaining a professional, calm approach.

Keen to dispel misconceptions about LeO Daniel reiterates the ombudsman is strictly impartial and supports firms as much as consumers, including dismissing complaints where service has clearly been reasonable. To help firms get matters right at first tier, LeO provides resources such as the technical advice desk, sector insights, and forthcoming Model Complaints Resolution Procedure, complete with templates and toolkits. A new learning platform with training and webinars is scheduled for 2026.

Listen in to hear more about LeO's attitude to setting and managing client expectations early, strategies to handle AI‑generated complaints effectively, and internal communication and processes that reduce escalation risk and improve client trust.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software, Moneypenny and Compass.

The latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast welcomes two of the property industry’s most outspoken voices: Peter Ambrose, Managing Director of The Partnership, and Russell Quirk, co‑founder and director of Proper PR. Both are known for their forthright views and are regular contributors to property discourse. Both have been on the podcast before and arrive ready to dissect the challenges facing home buying and selling in early 2026.

In a lively and combative discussion they trade blows on conveyancing, estate agency, risk, reform and changing client expectations.

Interestingly both conveyancing and estate agency share similar challenges; they both need to retain good staff, with the rise of the consultancy model quietly removing capacity from the system. They both need to deal better with pressure from clients, delays, and rising levels of frustration.

How then to tackle the issue? Typically radical, Quirk suggests a model whereby estate agents take on more of the legal work, like the Florida model where agents handle contracts and insurance replaces much of the legal process. Ambrose pushes back, pointing to the UK’s unique land ownership structure and the central role of mortgage lenders. Insurance, he says, can help, but it cannot replace due diligence.

There is also a widening gap between perception and reality. Social media may be full of doom, he says, but the data shows a functioning market - albeit one split between a sluggish top end and a buoyant sub‑£1.5m segment. His criticism is sharp: too many agents overvalue, under‑deliver, and lack the skills older generations took for granted.

What they do agree on is this: the system is slow, expectations are rising, and change is overdue. But whether that change comes from technology, insurance, regulation or cultural shift remains a live debate.

An entertaining and hugely insightful episode from two of the property sector's most knowledgeable voices.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software, Moneypenny and Compass.

The latest Today’s Conveyancer podcast marks a major milestone for property due diligence and environmental search provider Groundsure, which this year celebrates its 25th anniversary

Podcast host David Opie is joined by CEO Malcolm Smith and Customer Engagement Director Catherine Shiers to reflect on the evolution of the industry, the shifting expectations of consumers, and the innovations shaping the future of due diligence.

It's a very different world from the one Smith joined 18 years ago when Groundsure’s entire data asset, limited though it was, was stored on a single director’s laptop, which staff would wait for when producing reports. Today, the organisation operates a robust, secure, cloud‑based architecture, reflecting decades of investment in technology, process improvement and data accuracy.

The biggest shift, he adds, is the move from being perceived as an “environmental checks” company to being understood, internally and externally, as a content and data business. Everything Groundsure produces, from search reports to interpreted assessments, is built from curated datasets, continuously cleaned, quality assured, and refined to ensure reliability and property‑specific accuracy. This precision is central to the increasingly high‑stakes decisions conveyancers and their clients make.

The demands of consumers are also changing notes Shiers. The modern homebuyer is far more informed than the clients of a decade ago. If earlier in her career there was a greater acceptance of the interpretation of the reports, now with greater public awareness of things like climate, flood and ground stability risk, and the increasing use of AI, clients are more inquisitive, more knowledgeable and more willing to question search findings.

High‑profile issues such as climate change, flooding, PFAS contamination and even TV documentaries like Toxic Town have pushed environmental risk into the public consciousness and there is an expectation of deeper, more accurate insight

As conveyancing, and the wider sectors served by Groundsure, develop, there is an understanding within the business traditional paper-based or pdf desktop reports need to deliver the data in a more accessible structure; with direct integration with case management and other third party tools.

The discussion finishes on the next steps for up front and material information. How much is too much? And what are the commercial realities associated with providing so much data up front. While formats and delivery models will change, what matters is data integrity, relevance and clarity says Smith. The aim is not to add more risks to reports but to continue improving accuracy, usability and adaptability across workflows. Search alerts, digital outputs and adaptable data layers help ensure firms receive the right information at the right time, without overwhelming clients or inflating fees. And unlike the HIPs era, Malcolm emphasises that quality, not volume, must guide this evolution.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software, Moneypenny and Compass.