Canada looks to non-lawyers to fill family justice gap
North America is slowly moving towards opening up their legal markets, with Canada looking at non-lawyers to represent people with family law problems, and the American Bar Association setting out principles that should govern the regulation of “non-traditional legal service providers”.
“It was too good to be true”: SDT strikes off solicitor scam victim who raided client accounts
A sole practitioner who was the victim of fraudsters and raided his clients’ money to pay them off, has been struck off by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. He claimed he had been threatened by the fraudsters, who would come to his house to collect their money.
Accountants attack banks and insurers over probate “discrimination”
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales has accused banks, insurance companies and others of discriminating against accountants providing probate services, in favour of solicitors. It said various organisations “appeared not to have caught up with the consequences of the Legal Services Act”.
QASA warning over “that’s not how I would have done it” evaluations by judges
Many judges are not “advocacy trainers” and may produce “subjective” evaluations under the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates scheme, solicitor-advocates have warned. The Solicitors’ Association of Higher Court Advocates said there was a danger that some judges would assess on the basis of how they would have done it.
Reserved activities rule removed after SRA assurance that it is not looking to regulate the unregulated
Law firms no longer need to carry out reserved activities in order to be regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority – but the regulator has offered assurances that it will not seek to bring the currently unregulated into its net as a form of quasi-accreditation.
Barristers warned about solicitors who overcharge clients for their services
Barristers have been warned about instructing solicitors who are charging clients more for their services than counsel themselves are charging. The Bar Council has also cautioned self-employed barristers to be careful not to enter arrangements with solicitors which inadvertently turn them into employed barristers.
Vara rejects Lord Dyson’s criticism of enhanced court fees
Justice minister Shailesh Vara today gave absolutely no ground when quizzed by MPs about Lord Dyson’s fierce criticisms of enhanced court fees. However he did admit that the increase had resulted in fewer claims.
COFA sanctioned for “misappropriating” £120,000 from firm
A compliance officer for finance and administration at a Lincoln law firm has agreed to have his activities in the profession restricted after admitting to misappropriating £120,000 in a rare regulatory settlement agreement involving a non-solicitor.
Court of Appeal overturns dishonesty findings against solicitors
Findings of dishonesty, especially against solicitors, should not be made without “the most careful consideration” of what they say in their defence, appeal judges have warned in a case in which they overturned a High Court decision that two solicitors were guilty of “dishonest assistance in a breach of trust”.
Barristers at risk of being squeezed out of market, regulator warns
Barristers are at risk of being “squeezed out of the market by a declining case load, a surfeit of barristers and increasing competition from both other regulated legal professionals as well as unregulated service providers”, the Bar Standards Board has warned.
