Author: Karen Purdy

Solicitor, Director of Purdys Solicitors and founder of RunningALawFirm.net

Declaration for Websites by 27th August

The deadline for completion of the declaration for your firm’s website is close of business on 27 August 2021.   
The SRA Transparency Rules (‘the Rules’) came into effect on 6 December 2018. Designed to make sure consumers have accurate information and allowing them to make informed choices. Certain work types need to set out details about costs, including setting out the applicable rate of VAT.
The requirement to display the SRA’s digital badge) came into effect on 25 November 2019. 
The SRA now require your firm’s Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (‘COLP’) to declare whether you have a website that is compliant with the Rules and displays the SRA’s clickable logo. 
https://form.sra.org.uk/s3/Transparency-Declaration

Do you want your views heard?

There’s an SRA consultation about their budget and business plan, open until 25th June 2021.

PC fees apparently look to remain at a similar level to last year, but there are some points that you may want to comment on;

“In addition to our core work to protect the public and deliver effective regulation of law firms and solicitors, key areas of work set out in our plan, which covers November 2021 – October 2022, include:

  • introducing the Solicitors Qualifying Examination
  • supporting the adoption of technology and innovation in the legal sector including by building new partnerships in the lawtech arena
  • evaluating our ongoing reform programmes, including the Standards and Regulations and Transparency Rules
  • increasing monitoring of anti-money laundering arrangements
  • a range of horizon scanning and research initiatives, including research into the factors underpinning the over representation of black and ethnic minority solicitors within our enforcement processes, and the attainment gap in professional assessments”
  • https://www.sra.org.uk/sra/news/press/business-plan-consultation-2021/