MPs tell government to consult on formal regulation of McKenzie Friends
MPs have called on the government to consult on whether there should be formal regulation of McKenzie Friends, whether or not they charge fees. They said encouraging the use of McKenzie Friends “may in some circumstances amount to a counsel of despair”.
Express Solicitors poised for further acquisitions after £10m funding boost
Express Solicitors, the Manchester personal injury firm, is poised to make further acquisitions after securing £10m funding from the Royal Bank of Scotland. It said the money allowed a focus on growing the business “without having to compromise” on other areas.
RSA teams up with Parabis to launch alternative business structure
Insurance giant RSA, formerly Royal and Sun Alliance, has entered the legal services market by obtaining a licence for an alternative business structure in partnership with national firm Parabis. RSA Law will go live next month.
Exclusive: The Family Law Café opens for business
An online family law service that uses barristers to triage a client’s requirements and connect them with the experts needed to assist – whether they are barristers, solicitors, mediators, financial advisers, arbitrators, collaborative lawyers or therapists – has gone live this week.
Competence statement could be used as enforcement tool, SRA chief says
The Solicitors Regulation Authority adopted a new way to judge lawyers’ competence yesterday, which will for the first time mean it does not need to rely entirely on expert opinion or case law.
LSB going back to “first principles” as it mulls how to replace Legal Services Act
The Legal Services Board is returning to “first principles” as work begins to consider whether the Legal Services Act 2007 should be replaced, its chairman said today.
SRA prepares for rush of ABS applications from criminal law firms
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has put in place plans to fast-track alternative business structure and other new entity applications from criminal law firms in the event that the legal action against the government’s plans to reform legal aid fails.
SRA providing solicitors’ data to just one comparison website
Almost three months after the Solicitors Regulation Authority opened up its database to comparison websites, only one is actually receiving any information, it has emerged. Meanwhile the Bar Standards Board has opened its Barristers’ Register to the public.
More lawyers demand independent review of their treatment by SRA
The number of lawyers demanding an independent review of their treatment at the hands of the Solicitors Regulation Authority has gone up, despite a decline in members of the public making a similar request.
Bar Council in deal with credit specialist to finance fees
The Bar Council has joined forces with a legal credit finance specialist to enable direct access barristers to offer payment plans to their clients. BARCO, the Bar’s escrow account, will hold the loans obtained for clients by Legal Cost Finance.
