LSB: regulating will-writing and estate work will grow market and benefit solicitors
The reservation of will-writing and estate administration should boost the amount of work and allow existing providers such as solicitors to become more competitive, the Legal Services Board said today as it laid out how the regime will work.
City law firm to launch ABS integrating legal advice with HR consulting
A City-based law firm next week launches an alternative business structure (ABS) to offer employers a range of human resources consulting and ‘employee engagement’ services, integrated with its existing legal practice.
Barristers to have facility to deal with client money from next year
Barristers will soon be able to offer a full range of legal services after the Bar Council unveiled a third-party escrow account which will hold client money. All funds are to be held in a ring-fenced account with Barclays.
Hundreds of firms face SRA enforcement action over COLP and COFA failure
Hundreds of law firms that have yet to nominate their compliance officers could soon face enforcement action, the SRA has warned. Separately the SRA is to conduct visits to 100 random law firms to check on their compliance with equality and diversity rules, while more than 10,000 solicitors have registered their intention to join QASA.
Where are the MDPs? Waiting for the accountants to start setting them up
There is so far little evidence that alternative business structures (ABSs) will spawn large numbers of multi-disciplinary practices (MDPs), and those that do are likely to be accountancy led, it was claimed yesterday.
Shoosmiths claims new bereavement service marks it out among law firms
Access Legal, the consumer arm of Shoosmiths, has launched a service to help the recently bereaved that it claims is unique among law firms. The ‘Bereaved Service’ is intended to provide a wide range of advice with no obligation to purchase any services.
Law Society urges SRA to hold the line on independent financial advice
A Solicitors Regulation Authority proposal to scrap the ban on solicitors referring clients to tied financial advisers presents a “disproportionate risk” to both lawyers and clients, the Law Society has argued.
Why external investors are eyeing up the criminal Bar
Unlikely as it may seem, external investors are showing an interest in the criminal Bar. The reason, explains John Binks, is the way Legal Services Commission payments are structured and the £70m of work-in-progress that barristers are now sitting on.
The BSB’s response to failing to meet new complaints-handling KPIs? Change the KPIs
The Bar Standards Board has suggested changing the benchmark for measuring how its complaints investigators are performing – after it failed badly to meet its own key performance indicators.
Parabis chief calls on SRA to keep pace with ABS ambitions and not stymie innovation
The operational end of the Solicitors Regulation Authority needs to keep pace with those at the top of the organisation who “embrace and encourage legal business innovation”, and not stymie the type of development the Legal Services Act is supposed to promote, the head of one of the major ABSs has said.
