You can submit a complaint to the Ombudsman Service for Consumer Disputes relating to the Legal Profession (OCA), free of charge, in one of four ways:
- Online, using the complaints form
- by e-mail, to oca@ligeca.be
- by letter, to Ms An De Puydt, Ombudsvrouw Service for Consumer Disputes relating to the Legal Profession, Staatsbladsstraat 8, 1000 Brussels
- by fax, to Ms An De Puydt, Ombudsvrouw Service for Consumer Disputes relating to the Legal Profession, + 32 (0)2 307 72 21
Your complaint must comply with certain conditions in order to be accepted. For this reason, first read the procedural regulations.
Your complaint must be complete. The following details are compulsory:
- your full personal details;
- acceptance of the procedural regulations;
- the details of the other party;
- the subject of the complaint;
- the date on which you contacted or tried to contact the lawyer concerned to find a solution to the problem and, if possible, evidence of this;
- the fact and, if possible, proof that you have not received a satisfactory answer from the lawyer concerned within a reasonable period;
- an answer to the question of whether the complaint forms or already has formed part of legal proceedings.
- an answer to the question of whether the chairman is aware of the complaint.
Your complaint may be rejected for one of the following reasons:
- the complaint was not submitted to the lawyer concerned beforehand;
- the complaint is submitted anonymously or the other party is not identified or cannot be easily identified;
- the complaint is submitted more than one year after the problem has been put to the lawyer concerned;
- the complaint is fictional, insulting or defamatory;
- the complaint does not relate to a consumer dispute with a lawyer;
- the complaint relates to the resolution of a dispute that is or has been the subject matter of legal action;
- the handling of the complaint would seriously compromise the effective operations of the OCA.
To file a complaint, fill in the complaints form or send it to us by letter, e-mail or fax. You can also contact the ombudsman service by telephone at +32 (0)2 307 72 20 to request more information on Wednesdays and Fridays. However, it is not possible to file a complaint by telephone or on the spot. After all, the ombudsman service will first examine the complaint and then mediate locally between the consumer and the lawyer.