The services offered by the Ombudsmen exist to provide people who have complaints against business or government departments with a free, impartial and independent alternative to Court proceedings.
It is always important that individuals/businesses understand the role of the Ombudsman in the event of a complaint that leads to an investigation.
Today in the UK, there are Ombudsmen for Parliament, local government, the health service, estate agents, housing, energy supply, prisons, the armed services and more, even including Europe.
By far the largest of them all is the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), which is responsible for investigating complaints made by consumers against financial and professional services organisations.
With over 1,000 employees, this is an increasingly powerful organisation that can make an award of up to £100,000 against a business that it finds to have acted improperly.
The Ombudsman is an alternative to the Court process, but any business that comes under investigation should certainly take legal advice.
This is for two reasons: first, Ombudsmen follow basic legal principles in reaching their conclusions, so a solicitor will have insight into their likely approach. And second, if they find against you, you have the right to challenge their finding in Court through the Judicial Review procedure.
If you or your business has been threatened with or is facing an Ombudsman investigation, call your local Gamlins Office for an initial discussion of your position.
