Legal Services Act
SRA receives green light to license ABSs
The Legal Services Board is to recommend to the Lord Chancellor that the Law Society – through the Solicitors Regulation Authority – become an alternative business structure licensing authority. However, there has been a disagreement over the separate business rule.
LSB to reduce levy on profession as Law Society reveals £57m surplus
The Legal Services Board is to reduce its funding call on the legal profession after coming in under-budget for the 2010/11 financial year. The news comes as the Law Society revealed a £57m surplus for 2010 and that chief executive Des Hudson enjoyed a 14% pay rise.
In-Deed eyes up expansion into will-writing and personal injury work
In-Deed, the new online conveyancing service from Rightmove founder Harry Hill, is eyeing up expansion into the will-writing and personal injury market. The company listed on AIM today with a market capitalisation of £8.6m.
Survey: brands aren’t important – but clients will still head to AA, Co-op and Tesco
Just 3% of consumers rate a recognisable brand such as Tesco, the Co-operative or the AA as an important factor when choosing a law firm, new research has found. However, the survey of 500 consumers found that 26% would nonetheless go to one of those three brands for legal advice – but 74% would choose a traditional law firm.
Public still want face-to-face legal advice in key areas, LSB research finds
Face-to-face advice remains important to clients in several key areas of legal work and can help ward off complaints, Legal Services Board research has found. The research by YouGov discovered face-to-face advice most prevalent in family matters and will-writing.
LSB: law firms failing clients on complaints
More than half of all legal providers are failing to meet requirements to provide clients with clear information on their complaints procedure – according to research from the Legal Services Board – which also shows that almost 70% of complaints against lawyers are upheld.
Best-kept secret in the legal world? Fifth of all law firms are Connect2Law members
A fifth of all law firms are now members of legal referral and support network Connect2Law, it has emerged. Set up a decade ago by Manchester law firm Pannone, Connect2Law now has 2,240 members, with hopes of reaching as many as 3,000 by the end of 2011.
Co-op pilots face-to-face legal advice in branches of Britannia
The Co-operative has this week broken new ground by offering face-to-face legal services, combined with financial services advice, through the Britannia bank. The pilot could be the precuror to legal services being delivered through 350 branches of Britannia and the Co-operative Bank.
Solicitors make last-ditch bid to halt “unjustified” advocacy quality scheme
The Law Society has launched what appears to be a last-ditch bid to persuade the Legal Services Board to scrap the proposed scheme to assess the quality of criminal advocacy, saying there is no evidence to support the assertion that standards have fallen.
LSB slims down as members are reappointed
The Legal Services Board is to be slimmed down, and variable length terms introduced, after most of its members were reappointed. Chairman David Edmonds said he believed “we can operate at the same high level with a smaller board”.
Blog
The SRA needs to admit it got it wrong about SLAPPs
The High Court judgment in Ashley Hurst v SRA in January raises serious questions about the regulator’s approach to allegations of SLAPP-like behaviour.
Why menopause support belongs on every law firm’s agenda
Progression in the law slows significantly as women approach senior leadership. Most will be at the height of their careers around the average age menopause symptoms begin.
Law firms need to go beyond document checks
At the root of every failed compliance review is a familiar phrase: a calm assertion of “but we did a document check”.
