Latest news
LSB chairman warns MPs of "unintended consequences" of referral fee ban
Banning referral fees in personal injury may have unintended consequences that will be worse than the current situation, Legal Services Board chairman David Edmonds told MPs yesterday. He also said the current regulatory regime could move rapidly to a single over-arching regulator.
SMEs “deeply unhappy” with legal services as lawyers warned they risk going the way of HMV
Just one in eight small businesses believe that lawyers provide a cost-effective solution to legal problems, new research has found. The finding suggests far larger unmet legal need among SMEs than among the general public.
Law Society mulls levy on CQS firms to fund advertising campaign
The Law Society is to ask members of its Conveyancing Quality Scheme whether they would fund a dedicated advertising campaign, it has emerged. Chief executive Des Hudson raised the possibility at a meeting of the Conveyancing Association last week.
Exclusive: ‘Save the Legal Industry’ campaign warns Cameron of 100,000 jobs losses
Law firms are rallying around a campaign to warn the government that 100,000 jobs across the legal services industry will be lost over the next year as a result of its “savage” civil justice reforms, Legal Futures can reveal.
Robertson cautions criminal bar over opposition to plea-only advocates as QASA mutiny grows
Criminal barristers’ steadfast objection to the inclusion of plea-only advocates in the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates will be viewed by the public as self-interest, the vice-chair of the Bar Standards Board has warned.
Firms sign up to professional referral network that “cuts out costly panel managers”
Forty-eight law firms have already signed up to a new business networking tool that helps solicitors capture referrals directly from other professional services and claims to cut out “costly panel managers”.
SRA reveals financial instability indicators as it relaxes rule on reporting non-material breaches
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has outlined the three key financial ‘warning signs’ against which it will assess firms’ financial stability as a key element of its supervisory work over the next year. It is also to end the need for firms to submit an annual report on non-material rule breaches.
‘Unbundling’ the new craze as lawyer-backed family mediation service launches
A lawyer-backed service that assists divorcing couples during mediation, charging fixed fees to halve the cost for clients, is being billed as a possible lifeline for family legal aid lawyers after 1 April. It came as the Law Society president urged solicitors to explore ‘unbundling’ legal services.
Consumer group urges "NHS Direct for law"
There is “a compelling moral and economic case” for the Legal Services Board to pursue initiatives such as an NHS Direct-style telephone service to help people find the legal advice they need, its consumer adviser has urged.
Law Society president embraces ABS status
A virtual firm that is looking to share profits with its consultants and a leading personal injury practice have become the latest alternative business structures. Scott Moncrieff & Associates, known as Scomo, was founded by Law Society president Lucy Scott-Moncrieff.
Blog
When AI becomes a line on the client’s bill
On 23 June, Legora changed how it charges. The platform announced that its most capable product was moving away from a flat per-seat licence fee to consumption-based pricing
Which legal AI will still matter in 12 months?
Four years ago, when senior partners asked me which legal AI they should buy, I would have walked them through a vendor comparison. Now I tell them the question is wrong.
Supreme Court redraws line between member and employee in LLPs
For anyone advising professional services firms on LLP structuring, and of course for those in LLPs themselves, last week’s Supreme Court ruling is an essential read.
