Legal Services Act
Unbundled legal services and hourly rates don’t mix, warns Law Society
Family lawyers offering unbundled legal services should be wary of charging clients on an hourly basis, the Law Society has warned. It said “this could increase the risk of the retainer being more broadly interpreted”.
Stobart Barristers sets sights on criminal legal aid contract
Stobart Barristers – the direct access service run by the famous logistics company – has given a strong indication that it will bid for the new criminal legal aid contracts the government is set to offer under price competitive tendering.
Will Lord Sugar enter the law? Dynamo Legal founder seeks £250,000 investment
New legal brand Dynamo Legal is set to receive a major publicity boost next week when its founder appears on The Apprentice in a bid to win Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment for the business. Alex Mills is looking to recruit 245 firms to the network.
Flood stokes cab-rank rule argument
The row over Legal Services Board-commissioned research that recommended removal of the cab-rank rule stepped up a further notch yesterday after one of the academics who conducted it hit back at the critiques published by the Bar Council and Bar Standards Board.
Interest swap mis-selling claims company eyes ABS status
A claims management company specialising in interest-rate swap mis-selling could become an alternative business structure in order to litigate its own cases. All Square Treasury has just announced the appointment of a legal director.
Bringing all legal advice into regulatory net may resolve consumer confusion, says LSB chief
The status quo over reserved and unreserved legal activities is unsustainable and the answer may be for all legal advice to be regulated, the chief executive of the Legal Services Board has suggested.
Barrister boss of SueSomeone.co.uk eyes ABS as he hits out at litigation ban
A barrister who has built a thriving direct access practice through a public-facing website is considering whether an alternative business structure will help him deal with the problems caused by the ban on conducting litigation.
Jordans recruits senior in-house lawyer to spearhead ABS
Corporate services provider Jordans has turned to the head of legal at a leading business process outsourcer to spearhead its planned alternative business structure. Debbie Farman, formerly legal director of Vertex, will lead a team of lawyers, paralegals and corporate compliance experts.
Exclusive: legal advice charity becomes first not-for-profit to set up an ABS
A legal advice charity in Leicester has become the first not-for-profit organisation to set up an alternative business structure (ABS), Legal Futures can reveal. The Community Advice and Law Service has won approval to launch Castle Park Solicitors Community Interest Company.
New duty to support growth should not allow regulators to block “risky business models”
A proposed statutory duty on frontline regulators to consider economic growth must not be used to probe the business plans of new entrants to the market or block “risky business models”, the Legal Services Board has cautioned.
Blog
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AI is becoming increasingly intertwined with family law. Clients are using it to draft initial enquiries, prepare statements and, in some cases, to support themselves as litigants in person.
Why AI and leadership choices will define law firm profitability in 2026
Despite rapid advances in legal technology, the future of law will not be determined by software alone. It will be shaped by leadership decisions.
Legal director: an alternative to partnership
Firms are increasingly acknowledging the need for alternative senior roles – positions that offer influence and recognition without the obligations of ownership.
