To reserve or not to reserve? That might not be the question
Moves are afoot to examine whether will-writing, probate and estate administration should be re-classified as a reserved activity and brought within the sole preserve of the legal profession. The review is conducted amidst a background of concerns about the quality of advice being received by consumers, particularly by those outside of the ‘legal’ framework.
Here come the Aussies
Around 18 months ago, Andrew Grech, the managing director of Slater & Gordon (S&G), gave a presentation to a seminar run by accountants Baker Tilly. He began by showing a slick corporate video outlining the history and achievements of S&G. Two things struck me from this. First was a cut-away of S&G’s headquarters, at the top of which was a huge ‘Slater & Gordon’ sign, the kind of self-promotion UK firms simply don’t indulge in (at the moment).
The voluntary ombudsman
This week marks the end of a consultation by the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) on its strategy for the next three years and its business plan for 2012-13. Among other things, it asked for initial responses on whether it should activate the power given to LeO in section 164 of the Legal Services Act to add a voluntary jurisdiction to its statutory one. The idea, says Elizabeth France, chair of LeO’s parent body, the Office for Legal Complaints, is to “fill gaps in access to free and fair redress for consumers of legal services”.
The storm is coming – and a good thing too
It’s all rather quiet on the alternative business structure front right now but don’t be fooled into thinking that nothing is happening. The Solicitors Regulation Authority has received around 50 stage-one applications for licensing in the first two weeks and is now starting to send out the main application form, which I understand is something of a whopper.
The drama taking place under our noses
The Law Society, in my experience, is rather good at making things complicated. For evidence, look no further than the new internal governance arrangements which received lukewarm support from the Legal Services Board shortly before Christmas. This may seem like a dry and esoteric issue to most. Virtually everyone, in fact, which is why pretty much nobody else seems to write about or comment on it. They are wrong.
