MPs call for wider referral fee ban and power to force data audits of law firms
The ban on referral fees should not be limited to personal injury, a committee of MPs has said. It also called for the Information Commissioner to have the power to compel audits of law firms to check for breaches of the Data Protection Act.
Indemnity insurers face obligation to keep quotes open and provide credit rating
Professional indemnity insurers will have to leave quotations open for at least five days and provide information about their credit ratings under plans being considered by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Voiding policies is also back on the agenda.
Government lays out how it will ban referral fees
The government has set out how it intends to ban referral fees in personal injury, but has included a get-out if the payment is made “as consideration for the provision of services”. Its draft rules also allow the Lord Chancellor to ban referral fees in other areas of practice.
Ofcom raps ITV for allowing star to promote QualitySolicitors live on air
Ofcom has found ITV in breach of its code for allowing TV personality Amanda Holden to promote QualitySolicitors on the day she launched its tie-up with WH Smith. The network broke the rules on promoting services and on giving them undue prominence in programming.
BTE insurers losing grip on choice of solicitor and charge-out rates after key ruling
Before-the-event legal expenses insurers cannot reject a policyholder’s choice of a non-panel solicitor because the lawyer will not accept payment on their rates, the High Court has ruled – and those rates are not the starting point in a costs assessment.
Top general counsel attacks external investment and lawyers “putting money first”
Investors can be good for many businesses but not when that business is a law firm, a leading in-house lawyer has warned, expressing particular concern that clients’ interests “may take a backseat to the lawyers’ search for additional capital”.
Record number of solicitors struck off or suspended
A record number of solicitors have been either struck off or suspended, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal has revealed. However, the number of solicitors appearing before the tribunal has dropped sharply, possibly because of the SRA’s new powers to issue sanctions itself.
Mayson: clients may not be as keen on using local law firms as they make out
Solicitors should not rely on clients who express a desire for local, personal services, Professor Stephen Mayson has warned. He also said the “insulting” distinction in law firms between fee-earners and support staff is holding them back.
Rocket Lawyer: we want lawyers to join but you will have to give free advice
Lawyers who sign up as suppliers to US online legal documents business Rocket Lawyer – which is coming to the UK next year – will be expected to do a significant amount of work for nothing, founder Charley Moore has revealed.
SRA to roll out relationship management to all big firms
The Solicitors Regulation Authority is to roll out supervision of large City and national law firms through relationship management after a successful pilot. The year-long pilot also highlighted outsourcing as an issue to which the SRA needs to pay particular attention.
