How to Write a Letter Chasing Your Solicitor for an Update UK
- James Pite
- Jun 9
- 8 min read
Your case isn’t moving. Your calls go unanswered. You’re paying for it. And you are not sure whether this is normal, whether something has gone wrong, or whether your solicitor simply does not feel the need to keep you informed.
You are not alone. According to the Legal Ombudsman’s Q3 2025/26 data, a quarter of all complaints received in that period stem from clients feeling uninformed about the progress of their matter. Of those complaints taken to an in-depth investigation, 85 percent were upheld. Poor communication and failure to progress matters are, by a significant margin, the most common reasons people end up in dispute with their solicitor.
This guide explains what your solicitor is legally required to tell you and when, how to write a letter that prompts action without damaging the relationship, how to escalate to a formal complaint if the letter does not work, and how to take the matter to the Legal Ombudsman if the firm still does not respond properly.
What Your Solicitor Is Obliged to Do
Solicitors in England and Wales are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Under the SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, a solicitor must keep clients informed of the progress of their matter, respond to any reasonable request for information in a timely manner, communicate with clients in a way that is clear and in a format that they can understand, and update the client promptly if anything changes that may affect their matter or their costs.
These are not aspirational standards. They are conduct rules. A solicitor who fails to communicate adequately is in breach of the regulatory framework that governs their practice. That framework gives you leverage you may not realise you have.
Solicitors are also required at the outset of a matter to provide a client care letter setting out the key terms of the engagement, including estimated timescales, the name of the person handling your case, and what to do if you have a concern. If you have not received one, that in itself is a failing you can raise.
The Scale of the Problem: Why Your Frustration Is Justified
The Legal Ombudsman’s Q3 2025/26 quarterly data makes clear that poor communication by solicitors is not an isolated experience. The Ombudsman received 3,496 new complaints in that quarter alone, a 37 percent increase on the same period in the previous year. Complaints about delay and failure to progress matters represented more than one in five of all accepted complaints. The Ombudsman now expects to receive more than 14,000 complaints in the 2025/26 financial year — more than double the volume in 2019/20.
The Legal Ombudsman’s data also shows that when poor communication complaints are investigated in depth, 85 percent are upheld. That is not a small number. It means that in the vast majority of cases where a client felt ignored or uninformed and took the trouble to escalate formally, the Ombudsman found the solicitor had fallen short of the required standard. If you are experiencing this, writing formally is the right response.
The Chase Letter vs the Formal Complaint: What’s the Difference?
Before you decide what to write, it is worth distinguishing between two different letters.
A chase letter is a clear, professional request for an update on the progress of your matter. Its purpose is to prompt a response without escalating to a formal complaint. It is appropriate when the relationship with your solicitor is still workable, when the failure is recent, or when you want to give the firm one more clear opportunity to communicate before the situation becomes a dispute.
A formal complaint is a written complaint made under the firm’s complaints procedure. It triggers specific obligations on the firm, including a requirement to acknowledge within five working days and to provide a final written response within eight weeks. It is appropriate when the chase letter has not produced a response, when the failure to communicate has caused you loss or distress, or when the conduct is serious enough that you want it on record as a formal complaint.
You can start with a chase letter and escalate to a formal complaint if needed. In most cases, a well-written chase letter that makes clear you understand your rights is enough to prompt a proper response.
How to Write an Effective Chase Letter
Tone: Professional, Not Aggressive
The instinct when frustrated is to be blunt or even hostile. Resist it. A solicitor who feels attacked is likely to become defensive rather than responsive. A letter that is professional, specific and clearly informed about your rights is far more effective than one that reads as an emotional complaint. You want them to act, not to prepare their defence.
What to Include
The matter reference and brief description. Make it easy for the fee earner to locate your file immediately.
The date of your last meaningful update. Not the last time you called, but the last time someone gave you substantive information about where the matter stood.
The specific information you are requesting. What stage is the matter at? What is the expected timeline for the next step? What is causing any delay, and how long is it likely to last?
A reasonable deadline for response. Five working days is entirely reasonable for an update on an active matter.
A clear statement of what you will do if you do not receive a response. Reference the firm’s complaints procedure and, where appropriate, the Legal Ombudsman. Do not threaten. Simply state the next step factually.
Full Worked Example: Chase Letter
[Your full name]
[Your address]
[Your contact details]
[Date]
[Solicitor’s name]
[Firm name and address]
Subject: Request for Update – [Matter reference] – [Brief description, e.g. Residential Conveyancing / Estate Administration / Employment Claim]
Dear [Name],
I am writing to request an update on the above matter.
The last substantive update I received was on [date], when I was told [describe what you were told, e.g. the searches had been submitted and the matter was proceeding / the other side had been given two weeks to respond / we were awaiting the grant of probate]. Since that date I have [attempted to contact the office by telephone on [dates] / sent emails on [dates]] and have not received a response.
I would be grateful if you could provide me with a written update covering the following: the current position on my matter, what has happened since [date], what the next steps are and the expected timeline, and whether there are any issues causing delay that I should be aware of.
I would ask that you provide this update within five working days of this letter.
I appreciate that matters can be subject to external delays outside your control, and I understand that. What I need is to be kept informed so that I can make decisions accordingly. The SRA Code of Conduct requires solicitors to keep clients updated on the progress of their matter and to respond to reasonable requests for information in a timely way, and I am confident you will want to meet that standard.
If I do not receive a substantive response within five working days, I will have no option but to raise a formal complaint under the firm’s complaints procedure. I would prefer to avoid that and simply ask that you take this opportunity to bring me up to date.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
If the Chase Letter Does Not Work: Making a Formal Complaint
If you do not receive a substantive response within your stated deadline, or if the response you receive is inadequate, make a formal complaint to the firm. Every law firm in England and Wales is required to have a written complaints procedure and to provide you with details of it. This should have been included in your client care letter at the outset. If you do not have it, ask the firm for a copy.
Your formal complaint letter should follow the same structure as the chase letter but be addressed to the named complaints handler or the firm’s senior partner, and should explicitly use the words ‘formal complaint’. State what has happened, when you were last updated, what you have done to obtain an update, and what the failure has cost you in terms of delay, distress or financial consequences.
The firm must acknowledge your complaint within five working days and provide a final written response within eight weeks. If they do not, or if their response is unsatisfactory, you can take the matter to the Legal Ombudsman.
Escalating to the Legal Ombudsman
The Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints about legal service providers in England and Wales. Its service is free. As the Legal Ombudsman’s guidance on how to complain sets out, you must first complain to the firm and give them up to eight weeks to respond before the Ombudsman can investigate. Once that period has passed, or if the firm’s final response does not resolve your complaint, you can refer the matter to the Ombudsman. You must do so within one year of the issue arising, or within one year of you becoming aware that you had reason to complain.
The Ombudsman can find the firm at fault, direct them to apologise, compensate you financially for poor service, and require them to improve their complaints handling. The 85 percent upheld rate for poor communication complaints investigated in depth means that if your experience genuinely matches the pattern described in this article, you have a strong chance of a finding in your favour.
Note: the Ombudsman’s current waiting time for cases to reach investigation is between nine and twelve months from acceptance. This is a significant delay. It underscores the importance of using the chase letter and formal complaint stages effectively, since a resolution at firm level will be far quicker than waiting for the Ombudsman.
When to Consider Changing Solicitor
There are situations where chasing and complaining are not enough, and where the right decision is to transfer your matter to a different firm. Consider this option if:
Your matter has a time-critical element, such as a court deadline, an exchange of contracts or a limitation period, and the current firm’s failure to communicate has put that deadline at risk
The relationship has broken down to the point where you have no confidence in the firm’s ability to act in your interests
The formal complaint has not been handled satisfactorily and you are waiting months for the Ombudsman
You have evidence the firm has made errors in your matter, not just failed to communicate
Transferring a matter to a new solicitor is usually straightforward. The original firm is obliged to cooperate with the transfer of your file. They may retain your file until outstanding fees are settled, though disputes about fees can themselves be referred to the Legal Ombudsman. Ask your new solicitor to manage the file transfer process as part of taking on your matter.
Getting Help
If you want independent advice on whether your solicitor’s conduct falls below the required standard, the SRA’s consumer guidance sets out what solicitors must do. Citizens Advice can help you understand the complaints process and your options. If you want help drafting a chase letter or formal complaint that uses the right language, references the correct obligations and puts your case clearly, the team at LetterLab can help you get it right before you send it. A well-written letter that makes clear you understand your rights often resolves the situation before any formal process is needed.
Quick Checklist: Before You Send Your Chase Letter
Have you included your matter reference so the file can be located immediately?
Have you stated specifically when you last received a substantive update?
Have you set out clearly what information you are asking for?
Have you given a specific deadline for response, such as five working days?
Have you referenced the SRA Code of Conduct without making it sound like a threat?
Have you stated clearly what your next step will be if you do not receive a response?
Is the tone professional and factual rather than emotional or hostile?
Have you sent it by email with read receipt so you have a dated record?
Have you kept a copy?
The Key Takeaway: You Have More Leverage Than You Think
A solicitor who has stopped communicating is not simply behaving in a way that is annoying. They may be in breach of their professional obligations under the SRA Code of Conduct. The Legal Ombudsman upholds 85 percent of poor communication complaints it investigates. Complaints in this area are rising sharply. The system is designed to deal with exactly this situation.
Write the chase letter first. Make it professional, specific and informed. Give the firm a clear opportunity to respond. If they do not, escalate formally. The process is structured to give solicitors every chance to resolve things internally. But when they do not, you have independent, free routes available that carry real consequences.
Your case matters. Being kept in the dark while you pay for it is not something you have to accept.
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