Philip: Law Society’s £35m share of PC fee should be repaid to solicitors
The Law Society’s share of the Practising Certificate fee should be repaid to solicitors if the Solicitors Regulation Authority becomes fully independent, the regulator’s chief executive has said. Paul Philip said the society’s share was around £35m or £250 for each solicitor.
AA closes ABS to new PI clients as National Accident Helpline announces strong growth
The AA has shut its alternative business structure, AA Law, to new clients, it has emerged. The motoring giant said: “Following a strategic review the AA decided that the level of customers it was introducing did not justify the maintenance of a standalone business.”
LSB to encourage comparison websites to enter the law and challenge regulators over practising fees
The Legal Services Board is set to make encouraging comparison sites to enter the legal market one of its goals for the next year, along with telling regulators to be clearer about how they spend the profession’s money.
Claimant and defendant groups clash over Insurance Fraud Taskforce report – but the SRA is happy
Claimant and defendant personal injury interests have clashed over this week’s report of the government-commissioned Insurance Fraud Taskforce – while the Solicitors Regulation Authority has welcomed the call for its fining powers to be increased and the burden of proof before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal lowered.
Dixon on SRA independence: how are we a profession if we cannot set our own standards?
Government plans to make the Solicitors Regulation Authority totally separate from the Law Society must not be to the detriment of professional involvement in setting standards, the society’s chief executive has said.
Free2Convey to launch next month, with the focus on security
Free2Convey, which began as a free rival to failed conveyancing portal Veyo, is to formally launch to all conveyancers at the start of next month. Matt Lancaster, chair of Legal Software Suppliers Association, said the aim was to “create a trusted community”.
Fairpoint looks for new firms to buy as it achieves “double-digit growth”
Fairpoint plc, owner of national law firm Simpson Millar, has said it is ready for more acquisitions after achieving “double-digit growth” in the last calendar year. The firm also reassured investors over the impact of the government’s whiplash reforms.
Revealed: Final Veyo bill to hit £7m
The bill for the Law Society’s failed conveyancing software project Veyo is likely to be £7m, its chief executive has revealed. Catherine Dixon said she and president Jonathan Smithers pulled the plug because “the amount of time and further investment needed to get Veyo to a successful launch was too great”.
Major insurance fraud report: Increase SRA fining powers, lower tribunal burden of proof
The government should consider strengthening the fining powers of the Solicitors Regulation Authority and lowering the burden of proof in cases that reach the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal as part of the reforms needed to combat insurance fraud, a major report has recommended.
Reviewer warns of risk that public will see SRA as biased in favour of solicitors
There is a “real risk” that members of the public will view the Solicitors Regulation Authority as “simply preferring the word of solicitors”, its independent review body has concluded. The Independent Complaint Resolution Service called for a review of compensation claim fund claims.
