The SRA has increased their fining power Last year the SRA increased its fining powers from £2,000 to £25,000 to enable them to impose larger fines on legal firms that fail to implement adequate Anti Money Laundering training and systems. Before this change any fines...
A recent survey conducted by HSBC between May – July 2022 has found that 50% of respondents plan to reduce their office space within the next three years. It is important to note that this survey was conducted before the latest economic issues developed. This is an...
What is the indemnity fund? The Solicitors Indemnity Fund (SIF) was established in 1987 to provide compulsory professional indemnity cover to all solicitor firms in private practice in England and Wales. With the agreement of The Law Society of England and Wales, the...
The LSB (Legal Services Board) has developed a new website called reshapinglegalservices.org.uk. The new website aims to present research and insight about the future of legal services from lawyers, regulators, tech experts and consumers. The idea behind the website...
What is Legal Data? Legal data is information classified as regarding law and is generated from multiple formats including time recording, knowledge banks, spreadsheets, legal documents, billing systems and more. This data is used in all areas of practice law. It is...
It’s no secret that many sectors are facing severe wage inflation with many locked in ongoing battles to retain their best staff. Indeed, as the economy begins to open up as Omicron-related restrictions are eased, many legal firms in particular are facing a backlog of...
The SRA has proposed to end the provision of post-six-year run-off cover because they judge the protection as disproportionately expensive. Run-off cover is insurance for claims made against a law firm after it has stopped doing business. This change would mean that...
The SRA is proposing a major increase in their fining powers and has developed a new fast track system for ‘fixed penalties’ for low-level offenses. The SRA has begun a consultation on increasing the maximum fine they can issue to law firms from £2,000 to £25,000. In...
The government has published draft legislation outlining how they aim to change the current rules for taxing partners in cases where the partnership’s year-end does not fall on 31 March or 5 April. What changes are being proposed? Partners will be taxed on the...
In December 2018 the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) brought in the transparency rules. Firms were required to publish price and service information for particular services on their website. These rules were brought in by the SRA to ensure potential clients had...
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has recently conducted a survey of 3,539 users of legal services. The survey found that only 10% of consumers believed that solicitors were an unaffordable option once they had accessed information on price. This figure was...
Government Announces £3.1m Funding Plan for Litigants in Person The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and the Access to Justice Foundation have worked together on a joint initiative to provide a grant worth £3.1 million to support litigants in person, (a person, company or...