LEGAL FUTURES » Solicitors Regulation Authority

SRA under fire for policing of referral fee ban and insurer/law firm ABSs

Sam Chadderton — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:05:12 +0000

The Solicitors Regulation Authority came under fire this week for the way it is enforcing the referral fee ban, with its director of policy and strategy unable to tell solicitors how many investigations it has started since the ban came into force seven weeks ago.

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Solicitors’ support for OFR crashes

Dan Bindman — Sun, 19 May 2013 23:03:31 +0000

A Law Society survey finding that a growing number of senior solicitors think outcome-focused regulation places too heavy a burden on firms has drawn a rapid rebuttal from the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

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Unanimous South Eastern Circuit backing gives green light to QASA boycott

Neil Rose — Sun, 19 May 2013 23:02:26 +0000

The prospect of barristers boycotting the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates became almost certain on Saturday after all but one of more than 1,000 members of the South Eastern Circuit said they would refuse to sign up to it.

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Hanging on the telephone? You must be calling the SRA

Neil Rose — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:04:40 +0000

Just 17% of the 71,000 calls made to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s contact centre in the first quarter of 2013 were answered within the service level of 60 seconds, new figures have shown. There were also problems with the ethics helpline.

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Legal price comparison websites “begin to sign up” to good practice standards

Dan Bindman — Thu, 09 May 2013 23:05:42 +0000

Five legal price comparison websites have signed up to good practice standards issued by two regulators and the Legal Services Consumer Panel – although they are to remain voluntary, with no external validation.

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Last-ditch bid to delay QASA rejected as Deech argues for necessity of scheme

Legal Futures — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 23:05:19 +0000

A last-minute Law Society bid to delay the controversial Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) until after the government’s consultation on price competitive tendering for criminal work was yesterday rejected by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

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“Pointless” consultation to set out SRA plan to pay soaring intervention costs from compensation fund

Dan Bindman — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 23:04:04 +0000

Solicitors Regulation Authority plans to consult on whether the cost of interventions in failing law firms should be borne by the Compensation Fund have been queried as pointless because there is no realistic alternative.

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SRA survey: quarter of lawyers were privately educated

Sam Chadderton — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:43:18 +0000

The inaugural diversity survey of people working in solicitors’ firms has found that more than a quarter of lawyers went to fee-paying schools – nearly four times the national average. Meanwhile, a review of law firms' approach to diversity has found clients pushing the agenda.

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SRA set to relax rules on non-material breaches as nearly 1,000 firms face COLP/COFA action

Neil Rose — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 23:00:59 +0000

Requiring all 10,000 law firms to report non-material breaches to the Solicitors Regulation Authority is “unsustainable and cannot be justified”, the regulator’s board will be told today. Meanwhile, the number of firms and individuals facing action over COLP/COFA nomination failures has risen to 928.

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SRA plans for ABS fining guidance branded “premature”

Legal Futures — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 23:00:55 +0000

Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) plans to issue guidance on the financial penalties it will impose on alternative business structures (ABSs) and those working in them are premature, the Law Society has claimed.

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