Legal Services Act – Warning Signs
Checklist of behaviours and patterns that may breach professional duties and should be questioned or raised as a complaint.
View Warning Signs →Tools & Templates
Practical tools to help you choose a lawyer, manage your case, diagnose issues, and prepare effective complaints — written in plain English for consumers.
Your answers stay in your browser. These tools help you structure your thinking and evidence, but they do not give legal advice or replace professional judgment.
On this page
- Tools for Choosing a Lawyer
- Tools for Managing Your Case
- Written Advice Template
- Tools for Complaints & Escalation
If you want the principles behind these tools, start with: Core Guidance →
How these tools fit together
The tools are designed to work together through the life of a legal problem:
- Before you instruct – choose the right firm and avoid obvious risks.
- While the case is running – track what is happening, what you are told, and what it costs.
- If things go wrong – build a clear, evidence-based complaint and escalate it properly.
For the wider context and routes available, see:
Tools for Choosing a Lawyer
Questions to Ask a Lawyer
Interactive checklist for first meetings, with a simple Green / Amber / Red view.
Open Questions →Pre-instruction Checklist
A simple step-by-step checklist to follow before formally instructing a lawyer.
Open Checklist →Tools for Managing Your Case
Risk & Issue Log
Record concerns, delays, or warning signs as they arise. Useful evidence if you later need to escalate.
Use Log →Timeline Tracker
Track expected versus actual progress of your legal work.
Track Timeline →Cost Monitoring Sheet
Compare initial cost estimates against actual bills as the case progresses.
Monitor Costs →Communication Log
Record calls, emails, and meetings with your lawyer in one place.
Log Communication →Written Advice Template
Draft placeholder — template to be added.
Ask your lawyer to confirm important advice in writing, so you have something concrete to rely on later.
This is usually a short email request asking the lawyer to summarise: the advice given, key risks, costs position, and next steps.
For now, you can adapt wording from the Manage Your Case guide.
Download Template (coming soon) →Tools for Complaints & Escalation
Complaint Letter Generator
Turn your facts into a structured complaint letter for the law firm.
New to complaints? Read How to complain to the firm →
Generate Letter →Ombudsman Complaint Builder
Create a clear, evidence-based summary ready for the Legal Ombudsman.
Build Ombudsman Complaint →Evidence Checklist
Structured checklist to gather what you need before submitting a complaint.
Open Checklist →