Claims management companies win ABS status as SRA launches referral fee ban guidance
A company that provides both claims management services and legal expenses insurance has joined forces with a law firm in an alternative business structure that needed a waiver to allow a 27-year-old solicitor to be its head of legal practice. It was one of two newly licensed CMCs.
Here comes the legal executive law firm as CILEx applies for independent practice rights
The prospect of chartered legal executives setting up their own law firms moved closer to reality yesterday after their regulator submitted an application for the full range of independent practice rights. It has won immediate support from a Conservative MP.
Hourly billing leaves family law clients out in the cold, research finds
More than half of those going through a divorce were priced out of the legal services they would have bought and felt they needed, new research has found, with nine out of ten people told by solicitors to take or leave pricing on an hourly rate.
Law Society battle over in-house lawyers and sole practitioners
The Law Society council will this week receive conflicting recommendations about the future representation of in-house lawyers and sole practitioners among its number. The future representation of the Commerce & Industry Group, Solicitors in Local Government and Sole Practitioners Group hangs in the balance.
War of words between solicitors and lenders over separate representation
A war of words has broken out between the Law Society of Scotland and Council of Mortgage Lenders over the former’s decision to ban joint representation of borrower and lender, subject to formal rule changes later this year.
‘Save the Legal Industry’ campaign reports 2,500 personal injury job losses
The new ‘Save the Legal Industry’ campaign has reported the loss of 2,500 jobs among personal injury law firms as they prepare for next month’s civil justice reforms. It has launched a ‘Job loss counter’ aimed at making the government see the “direct effect” of its policies.
Niche practices eye expansion opportunities after gaining ABS licences
Two niche law firms have outlined their hopes for expansion after receiving their alternative business structure licences from the Solicitors Regulation Authority. One specialises in family law – and owns the divorcesolicitor.com domain – and the other operates in health care.
Yorkshire firm launches ‘Pay as You Go’ service for family clients as unbundling movement grows
The trend towards ‘unbundling’ legal services is gathering pace, with a Yorkshire law firm launching a ‘Pay as You Go’ service for family law clients who will no longer be eligible for legal aid after 1 April.
Co-operative Legal Services unveils big rise in turnover
The biggest brand name to enter legal services and one of the country’s first alternative business structures, Co-operative Legal Services, has announced strong revenue growth for 2012. It would place CLS at 76th in The Lawyer magazine’s table of the top 100 law firms by turnover.
Budget crackdown on misuse of partnership structure to avoid tax
HMRC is set to scrutinise the status of law firm partners after measures announced in the Budget. The Treasury is to consult on removing the presumption of self-employment for LLP partners and on countering the “artificial allocation of profits to partners”.
