LSB calls on profession to engage with comparison websites and “will consider” accrediting them


Edmonds: the consumer voice is usually the quietest

The Legal Services Board has urged regulators and professional bodies to engage with comparison websites for the benefit of consumers, including providing access to their registers, Legal Futures can reveal.

The possibility of accrediting comparison websites has also been put on the LSB’s medium-term agenda.

LSB chairman David Edmonds has written to the regulators and professional bodies to support the recommendations of a report from its consumer panel, published in February.

The report called on the LSB to work with the panel to facilitate discussion between consumers, comparison sites, providers and frontline regulators so as to secure the voluntary adoption of 20 good-practice standards identified by the panel.

In the longer term, and depending upon the progress of a self-regulatory solution, the panel said the LSB should consider accreditation of comparison sites. It also called on regulators to open up their professional registers so that comparison sites and others can use this data “to provide innovative solutions to consumers”.

Mr Edmonds said: “Consumer choice tools such as comparison sites can help your members connect with consumers, harnessing their own competitive advantages to grow their businesses and thereby ensure that the profession overall is stronger. Such sites may also provide a platform for forward-thinking firms to compete with larger brands that are looking to dominate in some areas of the legal services market.”

He asked the regulators and professional bodies to inform him “what role your organisation will play during 2012 and 2013 to tackle the issues raised”.

He continued: “In particular I am keen that professional bodies and regulators make available their professional registers as these may be an important foundation for online consumer choice tools. We take no view as to whether regulators should charge for the register but we will be keeping the Office of Fair Trading informed of progress in this area.”

Though the LSB said it will consider the issue of accreditation “at an appropriate point in 2013/14”, once the shape of the legal market becomes clearer, LSB papers show that members of the board were concerned about the risks of the LSB accrediting a particular site or arrangement and a user who suffered loss or damage because of the inadequate performance of the site seeking redress from the LSB.

Mr Edmonds acknowledged that some in the profession may see issues such as this as an unnecessary distraction, “especially given what they may consider to be the perfect storm of new entrants and increasing competition, more empowered consumers and liberalising regulation.

“However, the consumer voice is usually the quietest and thus we must listen carefully and act quickly: if we do then our joint endeavours to make the legal services market work well for consumers will be much the easier.”

 

Tags:




Leave a Comment

By clicking Submit you consent to Legal Futures storing your personal data and confirm you have read our Privacy Policy and section 5 of our Terms & Conditions which deals with user-generated content. All comments will be moderated before posting.

Required fields are marked *
Email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Blog


GEO – the impact of AI on digital marketing for law firms

GEO represents the biggest change in online business generation that I can remember. You cannot afford to stick with the same old engine optimisation techniques.


What the law can learn from fintech’s onboarding revolution

Client onboarding has always been slow. It’s not just about the paperwork and manual workflows; it’s also about those long AML checks and verifications.


Civil enforcement – progress at last with CJC report

‘When do I get my money?’ is a question that litigators acting for successful parties are used to fielding. The value of judgments is of course in the recovery made.


Loading animation