Government will not set limit on payments permitted under referral fee ban exception
The government is not currently planning to set an upper limit on payments that are exempt from the referral fee ban as “consideration for services”, it has announced. The news came as the Claims Management Regulator issued preliminary guidance on how it will approach the ban.
QS defends "premature" attack ads and reports mixed results from WH Smith stands
QualitySolicitors (QS) has admitted its campaign of attack ads on ‘faceless’ legal advice may have been premature, but defended it on the grounds that the network’s solicitors wanted the message publicised.
New franchise targets advertising in Costcutter to reach "lower" demographics
A new high street franchise that aims to market member law firms to “lower” demographics in thousands of branches of independent food retailers working under brands like Costcutter, Nisa and Premier Stores went live yesterday.
LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer go head to head again – in the courts
America’s two big online legal document brands, both of which are about to launch in the UK, are set to clash in court after LegalZoom launched proceedings against Rocket Lawyer over claims in its marketing that various services are free.
ABS-in-waiting to double in size as non-lawyer backing prompts massive recruitment drive
The impact of non-lawyer investment into law firms came to the fore today as Liverpool personal injury practice Silverbeck Rymer announced plans to create 300 jobs over the next year and so more than double in size.
Stobarts, MyHomeMove and Riverview outline ambitious growth plans
Three of the best-known innovative players in legal services have revealed ambitious plans for the future, building on strategies that have seen them develop rapidly in a fast-changing market. They were speaking at this week’s Legal Futures conference.
Lawyers face £1.4m bill after government confirms end to ‘free’ ombudsman cases
Thousands of law firms are set to contribute £1.4m to the Legal Ombudsman after the government confirmed that they will no longer be eligible for two ‘free’ complaints every year. Meanwhile, LeO has not ruled out entertaining complaints by third parties, such as against the opposing party’s lawyer.
Unsustainable pricing means most conveyancing firms are "bust", says leading enterpreneur
Fewer than half of the current number of residential conveyancing specialist firms will be in business within three years and probably just one in ten, according to the entrepreneur who founded the UK’s most successful property website.
First successes in red tape challenge with SRA set to sweep away City irritants
The end of the “crazy” requirement that law firms have to go through multiple notification processes to nominate the same people as compliance officers for affiliated entities is in sight as one of the first changes flowing from the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s ‘red tape challenge’.
Get advice and service right, and price becomes less important – major survey of client needs
Quality of legal advice and service still trump cost when clients choose a lawyer, although certainty about price and a firm’s use of technology are increasingly important, according to a major survey of client needs being released at today’s Legal Futures conference.
