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”.
Wood: LSB chief wrong to see disconnect between legal education and practice
Legal Services Board chairman David Edmonds is wrong to say there is a “disconnect” between legal education and legal practice, it was claimed last week by the man who has systematically reviewed the Bar’s education and training regime.
Planning to launch your ABS on 6 October? Think again as Kenny admits delay is likely
It is highly unlikely that the Solicitors Regulation Authority will be able to license alternative business structures on 6 October, Legal Futures can reveal. Legal Services Board chief executive Chris Kenny has admitted to us that getting the required orders through Parliament in time is looking “not impossible but very difficult”.
PC fee to fall as SRA takes steps to ensure ABSs cannot “manipulate” turnover
The practising certificate fee is set to fall by 16.7% to £350 in the coming year, it has emerged. The news comes as the Solicitors Regulation Authority should tomorrow approve provisions that will allow it to amend an alternative business structure’s turnover figure – upon which the SRA’s fees will be based – if it feels the number does not reflect the true value of the legal services provided.
LSB: no blanket ban on referral fees, but individual regulators can still introduce one
There should be no general ban on referral fees, but individual frontline regulators are free to impose one for their part of the legal market if they can justify it, the Legal Services Board has concluded. It said transparency needs improving but there is little evidence of “actual or potential harm”.
In-deed “could take minority stakes” in its panel law firms post-ABS
In-deed, the new online conveyancing business, could use the cash it raises from an AIM listing to inject capital into its panel law firms, it has emerged. The company hopes to float next month, with a market capitalisation projected at around £9m.
Blog
Automation in personal injury claims: The evolving legal risks
As automation tools become more sophisticated, they are increasingly used for more complex tasks, such as interpreting evidence and informing case strategy, particular in the PI sector.
A new era of legal operations
What we are seeing in the UK legal market is extraordinary change that will greatly influence how firms operate and compete for years to come.
Strong AML controls are meaningless with incomplete data
One expectation as the FCA takes control of anti-money laundering oversight is a move towards more supervision rather than simply writing new rules.
