AKL Solicitors Ltd
AKL Solicitors Ltd AW House 6-8 Stuart Street LUTON
, LU1 2SJ
Recognised body
622742
Decision - Fined
Outcome: Fine
Outcome date: 30 September 2021
Published date: 7 October 2021
Firm details
No detail provided:
Outcome details
This outcome was reached by SRA decision.
Decision details
The firm was ordered to pay a financial penalty of £1,200 and costs of £600.
The following conditions were imposed on the firm’s authorisation:
- If the firm publishes as available any of the services specified in rules 1.3 or 1.4 of the SRA Transparency Rules, the firm must in respect of each of those services provide evidence to the SRA’s reasonable satisfaction that it:
- publishes on its website the information specified in rule 1.5 of the Transparency Rules; and
- that such information is clear and accessible and in a prominent place on its website, in accordance with rule 1.6. The firm must provide the SRA with the required evidence within 30 days of this condition coming into effect.
- If the firm has a website, it must provide evidence to the SRA’s reasonable satisfaction, that it is complying with rule 2.1 of the Transparency Rules (Complaints Information). Such evidence must be provided to the SRA within 30 days of this condition coming into effect.
Reasons/basis
The SRA Transparency Rules came into effect on 6 December 2018. They require all firms authorised and regulated by the SRA to display specified information on their websites if they provide certain types of legal services. The purpose of the Rules is to ensure people have accurate and relevant information about a solicitor or firm when they are considering purchasing legal services. They are intended to help members of the public and small businesses make informed choices, improving competition in the legal market.
The firm has failed to publish the mandatory details of costs and service information and its complaints procedure on its website and has breached rules 1.1 and 2.1 of the Transparency Rules.