Legal firms don’t respond to SME legal needs which is both a problem and an opportunity – Legal Services Board

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in fees, legal services, news, small businesses, statistics by sally

“The Legal Services Board publishes today a report on the legal needs of small businesses. The
report – In need of Advice? – is the first time that this issue has been investigated in England and
Wales.”

Full story (PDF)

Legal Services Board, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Related link: Findings of the Small Business Legal Needs Benchmarking Survey

Massive unmet legal need among small businesses, landmark research finds – Legal Futures

Posted May 22nd, 2013 in fees, legal services, news, small businesses, statistics by sally

“Legal problems are costing small businesses in England and Wales £100bn a year, with fears over the cost of legal advice meaning they are far more likely to go it alone than seek help, authoritative new research from the Legal Services Board (LSB) has found.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 22nd May 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Are we headed for the Legal Services Act 2015? – Legal Futures

Posted May 15th, 2013 in legal services, legislation, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

“Yesterday’s announcement that Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling had rejected the Legal Services Board’s (LSB) recommendation that will-writing become a reserved legal activity was not a total shock.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 15th May 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Government says ‘no’ to will-writing regulation – Legal Futures

Posted May 15th, 2013 in consumer protection, drafting, legal services, news, regulations, wills by sally

“The government has today rejected the Legal Services Board’s (LSB) recommendation that will-writing become a reserved legal activity.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 14th May 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Barristers to have tools to compete with solicitors as BSB seeks approval for liberalisation – Legal Futures

Posted May 3rd, 2013 in alternative business structures, barristers, legal services, news by tracey

“An end to the bans on self-employed barristers conducting litigation and sharing premises or forming associations with non-barristers is in sight as the Bar Standards Board (BSB) laid out the first stage of its major liberalisation programme.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 3rd May 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Society endorses ‘a la carte’ advice – but warns of risks – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted May 3rd, 2013 in law firms, legal services, news by tracey

“Family lawyers offering ‘pay as you go’ legal services are warned of the risks they carry and how to avoid them in a practice note published today by the Law Society. The note has been published to assist solicitors seeking to offer a more affordable service by allowing the client to deal with some aspects of their case themselves. It deals particularly with family law cases, following the removal of legal aid for most private law family matters on 1 April and is aimed primarily at those offering face-to-face client work.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 1st May 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Army law: uniform instructions – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 8th, 2013 in armed forces, budgets, legal services, news by sally

“Some press reports estimate that up to one in four of the army’s lawyers face being cut. And the overall picture for the army is one of drastically reduced headcount – the Ministry of Defence’s Future Force 2020 plans will see the army cut 20,000 regular soldiers by 2020, with the number of regular soldiers set to fall to 82,000. Last year, during the second completed phase of cuts, four Army Legal Services lieutenant colonels applied for voluntary redundancy.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 8th April 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Legal aid chief promises smooth transition to new agency – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 3rd, 2013 in competition, legal aid, legal services, news by sally

“The chief executive of the new Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has promised practitioners that they will experience ‘minimal’ impact from the change in machinery.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 3rd April 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Introducing the new Handbook – Legal Aid Handbook

Posted April 2nd, 2013 in legal aid, legal services, news by sally

“1st April 2013. LASPO day. The day the new legal aid scheme began. Except, for most, it wasn’t. It was Easter Monday. Today is the real LASPO day, the day the cuts bite in earnest, the day that over 600,000 people will no longer get legal aid, the day some organisations won’t open their doors to greet their clients – and never will again.”

Full story

Legal Aid Handbook, 2nd April 2013

Source: www.legalaidhandbook.com

Fresh cab-rank rule row as LSB approves public access reforms – Legal Futures

“The Legal Services Board (LSB) has criticised the Bar Standards Board’s (BSB) failure to apply the cab-rank rule to public access work and said this omission will reduce the impact of rule changes that widen the scope for barristers dealing directly with clients.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 2nd April 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Removal of the ‘cab rank’ rule a major threat to justice – Bar Standards Board

Posted March 28th, 2013 in barristers, legal services, press releases, reports by tracey

“Those accused of violent crimes such as rape and terrorism could struggle to find appropriate legal representation if the ‘cab rank’ rule is abolished, according to a new report obtained by the Bar Standards Board. The study is in response to a report commissioned by the Legal Services Board which argues that the rule is no longer relevant.”

Full press release

Bar Standards Board, 27th March 2013

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

 

 

Barristers fight back in defence of cab-rank rule – Legal Futures

Posted March 27th, 2013 in barristers, codes of practice, legal services, news by tracey

“Barristers yesterday launched a two-pronged assault on a controversial academic report recommending that the cab rank rule be removed from the Bar Code of Conduct, with twin assessments by high-powered silks contradicting its findings.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 27th March 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Foreign lawsuits may face higher UK legal fees – The Guardian

Posted March 27th, 2013 in courts, fees, jurisdiction, legal services, news by tracey

“Higher fees may be introduced for foreign businessmen and Russian oligarchs who pursue their multimillion-pound disputes in British courts, under a review announced on Tuesday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 26th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Review of published evidence on the equality of pay in legal services – Legal Services Board

Posted February 28th, 2013 in diversity, equal pay, legal services, news, reports by sally

“Studies of earnings in the legal profession have consistently shown that women earn less than men and that individuals from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups earn less than their white colleagues. This is confirmed in a review by the Legal Services Board (LSB) of the quantitative data available on the earnings of legal professionals in England and Wales. The LSB published the Review of published evidence on the equality of pay in legal services on 28 February 2013.”

Full story

Legal Services Board, 28th February 2013

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Divorce costs warning issued to lawyers – The Guardian

Posted February 28th, 2013 in costs, divorce, families, legal ombudsman, legal services, news by sally

“Some solicitors are failing to advise divorcees to settle courtroom battles before costs rise out of control because of the ’emotional rawness’ of those involved, according to the legal ombudsman.”

Full story

The Guardian, 28th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ombudsman warns of mis-selling risk around family law services – Legal Futures

Posted February 28th, 2013 in complaints, costs, divorce, families, legal ombudsman, legal services, news by sally

“Innovation in family law services is working for consumers but could in time lead to mis-selling and hidden costs as complex financing and legal services structures emerge, the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has warned.”

Full story

Legal Futures, 28th February 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Lessons from Legal Regulation for Leveson – Legal Services Board

Posted February 22nd, 2013 in inquiries, interception, legal services, media, privacy, public interest, speeches by sally

Lessons from Legal Regulation for Leveson (PDF)

The Chief Executive speaks at the Regulatory Policy Institutes Hertford Seminar in media regulation post-Leveson.

Legal Services Board, 12th February 2013

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Neuberger warns against risk of profits before principles in the ABS world – Legal Futures

Posted February 22nd, 2013 in alternative business structures, judges, legal aid, legal services, news by sally

“The president of the Supreme Court has urged the legal profession not to lose sight of its fundamental principles in the rush for modernisation, warning about the risks of pressure from “hard-nosed businessmen” who may invest in law firms.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 22nd February 2013

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

LSB recommends regulation of will-writing activities – Legal Services Board

Posted February 15th, 2013 in consumer protection, legal services, Legal Services Board, news, wills by sally

“The Legal Services Board is today [13 February] recommending to the Lord Chancellor that will writing activities should be made subject to regulation, so that the significant risks consumers currently face when using these critical services is reduced.”

Full story (PDF)

Legal Services Board, 13th February 2013

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Bypassing lawyers would save £1.5bn, insurer claims – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 15th, 2013 in insurance, legal services, news, personal injuries, road traffic by sally

“Removing lawyers altogether from the small-claims process would save each motorist an average £60 a year on their car insurance premiums, a major insurer today [14 February] claimed.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 14th February 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk