Legal Services Board
Consumer panel urges more fixed fees and SRA fining powers
More use of fixed fees and an increase in the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s fining powers are among recommendations made today by the Legal Services Consumer Panel.
Ex-consumer panel chief set to return as LeO chair
The Legal Services Board has named the former chair of its consumer panel as its preferred candidate to chair the Office for Legal Complaints, the board of the Legal Ombudsman.
“Redesign legal services” to make them more accessible
The way legal services are provided needs to change to recognise that a large portion of the population struggles with the law and needs more help with accessing it, new research has urged.
LSB ramp ups pressure on regulatory independence
The Legal Services Board is ramping up pressure on the Law Society, the Bar Council and other approved regulators over ensuring the independence of their regulatory arms.
Lawyers could be forced to sign up to comparison websites
Law firms, chambers and other legal services providers could be forced to sign up to comparison websites so that clients can let others know about the quality of service they received.
Most clients satisfied with lawyers – if they use them
The vast majority of clients are happy with the services they receive, according to the largest ever legal needs survey, but only 55% of those with legal issues actually sought out professional advice.
LSB launches continuing competence inquiry
The Legal Services Board has launched a call for evidence on continuing competence, the first stage in a promised review of the issue that could lead to periodic checks on lawyers’ fitness to practise.
BSB and SRA in firing line over shortcomings
The Bar Standards Board has been told that it needs to act more quickly on how it plans to educate the public about barristers after its widely criticised decision to stop funding Legal Choices.
Approval of SQE not a foregone conclusion, LSB warns
Approval of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam is not a foregone conclusion, the Legal Services Board is to make clear to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Issues such as quality and cost must be addressed.
Exclusive: CMA ramps up pressure on Bar Standards Board
The Competition and Markets Authority has ramped up the pressure on the Bar Standards Board over its decision to stop funding the cross-regulator Legal Choices website.
Blog
Change in regulator shouldn’t make AML less of a priority
While SRA fines for AML have been climbing, many in the profession aren’t confident they will get any relief from the FCA, a body used to dealing with a highly regulated industry.
There are 17 million wills waiting to be written
The main reason cited by people who do not have a will was a lack of awareness as to how to arrange one. As a professional community, we seem to be failing to get our message across.
The case for a single legal services regulator: why the current system is failing
From catastrophic firm collapses to endemic compliance failures, the evidence is mounting that the current multi-regulator model is fundamentally broken.
