Legal Services Act

There may be fewer criminal law firms as a result of legal aid reform but not fewer solicitors, the Lord Chancellor claimed today. Questioned by the justice select committee, Chris Grayling also expressed disappointment at what he said was the Bar’s failure to engage with the process.

The shareholders of online conveyancing business In-Deed – the first listed company to buy a law firm – have approved the plan to dispose of the practice and the rest of its business. Nonetheless, the failure of In-Deed paves the way for “further necessary disruption in the conveyancing market”, it has been claimed.

The “sustainable consolidation” of nearly 1,200 small criminal law firms could be driven by requiring them to have a minimum number of duty solicitors, the Law Society has proposed as its alternative to price competitive tendering.

A human resources (HR) outsourcing one-stop shop involving both lawyers and non-lawyers has been launched by City firm DAC Beachcroft, with plans to roll out the blueprint to other areas of legal services.

The Ministry of Justice today showed the first sign of cracking under the weight of pressure over its plans to reform criminal legal aid, with the Lord Chancellor ditching the plan to end client choice of solicitor.

A lack of transparency in complex business structures and ‘contagion’ from one part of a group to the law firm member are among the potential risks identified today by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in its first-ever risk outlook.

A business that provides court agency and other outsourced services has become an alternative business structure (ABS) in order to meet the demand of its clients. Ashley Taylors in East Sussex is the first business of its type to become an ABS.

The Legal Services Consumer Panel has questioned the Law Society’s strong reaction to its recommendation that the possibility of a single compensation fund across the legal profession be explored, including whether the society has actually read all of its work on the issue.

The Law Society has dismissed the Legal Services Consumer Panel’s call to consider a single compensation fund for all legal service providers. It claimed that the panel’s report “lacks the degree of rigour necessary for it to be considered seriously”.

A firm of midlands-based financial advisers has received approval to set up an alternative business structure so as to extend its service to existing clients and drive revenue growth. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of listed independent financial advisory and wealth management firm AFH.