Solicitors

Innovations in legal practice are coming more from traditional law firms than from ABSs, the SRA said last week. Meanwhile, it will this week clarify the position of firms that have submitted COLP and COFA nominations but have not yet received approvals.

Introduction of the controversial Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates (QASA) has been delayed, it was announced today. It was meant to start at the end of January, but no new date has now been set as more details are worked out.

The Legal Services Board (LSB) has told the regulators it oversees that now is the time for them to prove they can deliver what is expected of them, warning that it will put their promises “to the test”. The LSB said its focus in 2013/14 will be on the performance of the regulators.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has received “too many” compliance officer nominations where the individuals concerned have failed to disclose serious disciplinary issues that make them unsuitable for the role, as it warns that hundreds of firms will start 2013 without officers in place.

There are widespread failures among law firms to comply with a host of key regulatory requirements, from their websites to the Bribery Act, new research seen exclusively by Legal Futures has shown. The figures indicate that there is simply too much for small firms to comply with, according to its author.

The latest spat between the Law Society and Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has been rumbling on over the latter’s budget for 2013, it has emerged. However, Legal Futures can reveal that the SRA is to reduce its budget by around £2m to £30.6m.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to keep alternative business structures within the coverage of the Law Society’s compensation fund indefinitely, although the move was described as “bizarre” by the Shadow Minister for Justice.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to begin the process of pursuing the 400 law firms which have yet to nominate their compliance officers after the first tranche of approvals was issued.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s decision to change the rules on recommending financial advisers to clients has come under fire from opponents, with the Law Society taking “the unprecedented step” of urging the profession not to follow the new provisions and IFAs threatening judicial review.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to push ahead with controversial changes to the rules on referrals to financial advisers that will no longer preclude them from choosing those tied to particular institutions, despite opposition from the Law Society, SIFA and others.

The government is not currently planning to set an upper limit on payments that are exempt from the referral fee ban as “consideration for services”, it has announced. The news came as the Claims Management Regulator issued preliminary guidance on how it will approach the ban.

Thousands of law firms are set to contribute £1.4m to the Legal Ombudsman after the government confirmed that they will no longer be eligible for two ‘free’ complaints every year. Meanwhile, LeO has not ruled out entertaining complaints by third parties, such as against the opposing party’s lawyer.

The end of the “crazy” requirement that law firms have to go through multiple notification processes to nominate the same people as compliance officers for affiliated entities is in sight as one of the first changes flowing from the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s ‘red tape challenge’.

The Law Society is to investigate giving solicitors the choice of not having a client account as a way to reduce the cost of regulation, it has emerged. Chief executive Des Hudson said the “cost and burden of regulation will have to fall” to enable solicitors to compete.

Law Society chief executive Des Hudson has responded to calls for all advocates – including solicitors – to be regulated by the Bar Standards Board by saying: “Are they having a laugh?” And SAHCA chief says QASA and ABSs give solicitor-advocates a “golden opportunity” to compete with barristers.