Latest news

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.

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.

The Legal Services Consumer Panel has strongly criticised the government’s plan to deny defendants the right to choose their own solicitor under price competitive tendering, with new data showing that legally aided clients are more likely to shop around than any other.

Alternative business structure Quindell Portfolio plc has seen its share price recover ground after it fell by more than a half in less than a week. Meanwhile, ABS and leading personal injury firm Fentons has announced record turnover for the last financial year.

Alternative business structure Brilliant Law has claimed an advance in the online sale of legal services to SMEs by tailoring each one to the needs of the purchaser for no extra fee – with solicitors even taking payment for them over the phone.

On Monday evening (20 May), the Legal Futures team will be joining thousands of lawyers and legal support staff from all areas, who are taking part in the London Legal Walk to show their support for the Legal Support Trust and access to justice. We are also one of the walk’s sponsors this year.

There needs to be greater control of alternative business structures (ABSs) set up by insurance companies to “ensure appropriate behaviour” and even a ban on ABSs operating in the small claims court, AXA Insurance has told MPs.

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.

Criticism of the government’s decision not to regulate will-writing continued yesterday – although the two bodies representing the will-writing community appeared at odd over the prospects of self-regulation succeeding.

Further deregulation of the legal market is in the offing as a result of two initiatives at the Ministry of Justice, Legal Futures can reveal – and could yet lead to will-writing becoming regulated.