SRA Update
What's happening with the Legal Services Act?
SRA Update Issue 6 – October 2008
Our plans
We are still planning that firms will be able to become legal disciplinary practices (LDPs) with non-lawyer partners in March 2009, and that new rules relating to sole practitioners will come into force in July 2009.
Help and guidance
In addition to our new FAQs, information at sra.org.uk/LSA includes
- guidance on the new forms of practice and regulation,
- an introduction to both the agreed changes to the Solicitors' Code of Conduct and amended rules and regulations made in July this year but not yet in force, and
- feedback from the detailed consultations.
Consultation
Please note that the Government is proposing to change the provisions in the new section 9A of the Administration of Justice Act, and that means we need to make consequential changes to some of the rules and regulations. We are consulting on these changes. The deadline for responses is 10 November 2008. Please visit www.consultations.sra.org.uk.
Your plans
To assist with resource planning and to keep our costs down, we carried out a confidential survey amongst of more than 5,000 firms to ask what their plans are for next year with the advent of LDPs.
Responses to the survey indicated that a small proportion of firms intend to appoint new non-lawyer partners or are considering doing so.
Keep up to date
For the latest information, visit sra.org.uk/LSA and add it to your bookmarks.