Author: Karen Purdy

Recently the Bellwether Discussion Paper 2019 was published. I was one of the solicitors interviewed and featured in the Gazette.

#Bellwether

@BusinessofLawB

@LexisNexisUK

@Jon Whittle

https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/practice/price-publication-rules-will-drive-down-costs-and-quality/5069126.article

The SRA’s Digital Badge will become compulsory and new rules for the profession will become effective from 25th November 2019.

Read more on the SRA’s site at https://www.sra.org.uk/sra/news/press/standards-regulations-start-date-2019.page

The SRA have released updated templates and guidance on what needs up-dating. Changes to the websites of law firms regulated by the SRA need to be carried out by 6th December 2018

There is also a new digital badge to use.

Further information is at http://www.sra.org.uk/sra/news/press/price-transparency-digital-badge-confirmed.page?src=rss

UPDATE: here’s a link to the SRA’s templates on suggested wording – https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/guidance/ethics-guidance/price-transparency.page#templates

Not cheery stuff, but possible useful one day… If  a sole practitioner has died, temporary emergency authorisation from the SRA is required. The SRA need to be notified within 7 days  and the application made on form FA7 with 28 days of the date of death.

SRA guidance is here – http://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/firm-based-authorisation/tea-sole-practitioner.page

Jon Whittle’s commentary and views on the imminent SRA changes make for very sobering reading. He says “Most firms are unaware of the changes and are therefore unprepared and unprotected to face what’s coming next. Is this the fault of the solicitors for not educating themselves, or the regulatory body for not getting through to them?”

I have to agree with Sophie Barrett-Brown’s comment;

“Some regulatory changes may have an impact on standards. Firms are
challenged to do everything faster, cheaper… but there’s only so much that can achieve and for many types of work a certain amount of time is still needed for good, old-fashioned thinking and doing it properly.”

What are your views?

Does your firm provide advice in an area where you will need to give information to the public about your fees? Do we really need a digital badge to show the public that solicitors are SRA-regulated?

You can read the report here – http://www.lexisnexis.co.uk/research-and-reports/bellwether-discussion-paper-2018.html

SRA information on some of the changes are here – http://www.sra.org.uk/sra/news/press/better-information-june-2018.page